


Rescue

by Jcat06172



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, References to Abuse, Will is a poop, soooooo cliche, this is so cliche im sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-05-01 10:03:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 54,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14518083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jcat06172/pseuds/Jcat06172
Summary: So, this is something I wrote a while ago. I have the first twelve chapters or so written, I have to edit before i post them tho. sorry about the clicheness, freshmen me didn't understand how to not be cliche, but i owe it to her to at least post this and finish it.I do not own CMcomments and criticism appreciated.THANK YOU Dweeblet for dealing with my cliche writing and taking the time to edit this, you are a godsend.





	1. Thinking Of Me?

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is something I wrote a while ago. I have the first twelve chapters or so written, I have to edit before i post them tho. sorry about the clicheness, freshmen me didn't understand how to not be cliche, but i owe it to her to at least post this and finish it.  
> I do not own CM  
> comments and criticism appreciated.  
> THANK YOU Dweeblet for dealing with my cliche writing and taking the time to edit this, you are a godsend.

It all started the day she walked into the BAU bullpen. Another team member had been involved in a questionable shooting, and the vacancy had to be filled when that agent had quit. She was the perfect choice: intelligent, strong, and fearless. The team rejected her, treated her badly, and far too often blamed her for everything that went wrong. She didn't care though. She  powered through, and forged friendships in the white hot flames that surrounded them everyday.    
    Years passed, and she grew closer to each member of the team in her own way. JJ and Garcia became her weekend spa trip buddies. She and Morgan were each other's rock, listening to the other and helping them to work out their problems. Reid was her chess mate and she remained one of the few people who was able to beat him. To her, Rossi was like the father she missed so badly, and for him, she was the daughter he never had.

She was there for agent Hotchner when his wife left him, and when the Boston Reaper came close to taking everything he loved from him. She was there when they buried Haley. Emily was the one who told him to move on from her. She told him to be strong, if not for him then for his son, his team, his family. 

And never once did she expect a thank you. Walking away from Morgan after a heart to heart, or leaving JJ's house, maybe giving Hotch a sturdy handshake, or a pat on the shoulder, telling him to keep going, keep moving, and keep his head up for Jack, she would smile, tighten her red scarf, and walk out, feeling happy that she tried to help her friends.

Thank you was just a phrase. Their health and happiness meant so much more. After all, seeing the things they saw, it was more than understandable to want to talk to someone who understood. In the end though, Garcia had Morgan; they could talk to each other, sleepover together, they were close. In a way that Emily and the rest of the team could never be. They had each other, and while Emily was close with the pair, she couldn't possibly be what they were to each other. The same was true of JJ and Reid. They had their own special thing, and while Emily and  JJ had been close in certain ways in the past, Emily didn't want to break up the friendship that JJ and Reid had. 

Hotch had never been very watchful of Emily, other than to make sure she was doing alright in the field. She was strong, a capable agent and a good friend, but nothing more. Six months after the divorce, he was thinking something entirely different.    
      He noticed things first. The way she walked along the halls of the Bureau, with her powerful step, wearing a glare that said, ' _ just try to challenge my place here. I'll show you I belong. _ '   
     There were rules against profiling each other, but sometimes he couldn't help noticing when she got nervous, she would bite her cheeks, or tuck her hair behind her ears too many times. A little voice inside him would whisper,  _ adorable _ , each time she did so.  She probably didn't know that those were her tells, or she wouldn't perform them so obviously.    
     Sometimes there were days when she was in the field, and the Kevlar vest was just a bit too tight in certain places—ones he noticed and tried hard not to get caught staring at.  _ Eyes up Aaron, we're about to storm the bad guy’s house. _ He would think to himself, and his eyes would refocus in front of him as Morgan served the warrant and kicked the door down, guns blazing.    
     Other days he would let his eyes rest on her incarnadine scarf, and notice how the tassels landed just so in the v-neck of her shirt, brushing the tops of her hidden breasts. It matched her alabaster skin perfectly.  Hotch had to use every ounce of self control he possessed to look back at his paperwork.    
    For Emily, it started much sooner. Agent Hotchner would ask her over on the days when he felt like he really couldn't cope with his grief, and she couldn't help but be a little bit happy that he had chosen her company over any other. She had assumed it was simply because he knew that she was long since accustomed to grief and loss, seeing as she had felt so much of it in her thirty-five years. Most of it he knew nothing about, other than the fact that her father had been killed when she was fifteen, but he respected that level of privacy she maintained while still being tender. Honestly, it was a wonder she was still breathing. Most people would have given up by now.    
    The feelings she got were more frequent when he was assigning orders for the team, she noticed how the little voice in her head started to say,  _ I hope I'm assigned to him, _ and she would feel a small tug in her stomach.    
    On the days he chose Emily, her heart would flutter with glee, and just for a second she would let herself feel the emotions that were boxed up inside her—but only for a second. Then she would close herself off again, and put her walls back up in place to defend her from what she saw every day.   
    It was an accident. That's what she told everyone. That's what she told him. But that was a lie. She said she didn't hear the water running. He didn't hear her knock at first. His door was open, it always was. He kept it like that in case one of his team members had an emergency. Emily knew that, which was why when he didn't answer she decided to go in. Time caused the problem. Time was to blame. Not her. Hotch had heard her knock, and had stopped the shower, walking into his room to grab a robe and answer the door. She walked in at the same moment he walked out.    
    She only saw him for a second, that was all she needed. The picturesque, chiseled frame of Aaron Hotchner was forever etched into her retinas.

Droplets of water slid slowly down his skin, they dripped from his raven black hair, and slid down his chiseled cheekbones. They wetted his lips, and fell into his dark brown eyes. The water cascaded down his barely visible ribs, then quickly slipped down his taut abdominal muscles. The droplets collected in the white fluffy towel he had expertly tied around his waist, slipping down to reveal the fine dark hairs rising along the curve of his navel. 

His scars were clearly visible, deep white gashes that had barely healed. They were raised against the rest of his skin, puckered and pale. Foyet had indeed left his mark, but it took little away from his svelte, statuesque figure.    
     Emily's feet pounded the hotel floor as she sprinted into the hall. She slammed the door behind her. She apologized four times, saying she didn't know he was showering, that the door was open, and that it wouldn't happen again. She heard him chuckle, insisting that it was okay. Instead of calming her, his assurances only succeeded in making her blush harder, her cheeks burning with stinging red heat. Morgan guffawing behind her didn't help either.

Emily never forgot a single cell of Aaron Hotchner's body.    
    He gave her subtle tells, ones she could notice only if she was looking for them. A brush of his fingers on her hand when he reached for some paperwork. Leaning a bit too far across the seat when he got into the car and strapped his seatbelt in, allowing their shoulders to touch, his face almost in her hair allowing the scent of her shampoo to linger for a moment. Then he snapped back, not wanting to be obvious, or even knowing what he wanted himself. Dating a co-worker was against the rules, especially so for  a subordinate. What the hell was he thinking?   
     Her mind was playing tricks on her, at least that's how it had to be.  _ Hotch didn't lean over too far on purpose, he just lost his balance. Right? He did not touch my hand because he wanted to, he just needed to get the files, and they were pretty far away. That's what it had to be. Or maybe it wasn't? _ She was probably just looking for things that weren't real.

Emily leaned over into his personal space. Pretending to stretch, she ran her open palmed hand down his chest lightly. Instead of moving away as she expected, she felt him press his body into her touch, barely noticeable unless someone was looking. She smiled inwardly, thinking maybe, just maybe these 'accidental' touches were deliberate after all. 


	2. A Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily corners Hotch in the bar and gets hit on by a random bartender.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, freshmen me wanted to write a cute bar scene, apparently she had no idea what "foreshadowing" or "subtle" means. Not that I do now but... well... *facepalm*  
> thank you dweeblet for dealing with this writing, you made it 100 times better  
> thank you to the kudoers! Yall are the best! your support is very much appreciated!  
> enjoy, this story is mostly fluff for now. its gonna be a bit less fluff without a point by like chapter 11 i think, until then, enjoy the fluff!

    It was after a tough case, Emily sat at the bar, downing a glass of bourbon. She had lost track of how many shots she was on long ago. She watched Reid order another glass of scotch for himself and Rossi, both of whom were attempting to play chess to the best of their drunken abilities. Reid was winning.

She noticed JJ watching Reid, her yearning eyes fixed on him from across the bar. How sad it was that neither knew how the other felt. Even worse that JJ was in a completely one sided relationship. 

Garcia and Morgan were in the corner as usual, their raucous laughter growing louder whenever another empty bottle was added to their growing collection. And Hotch—his head was down, tired eyes trained on the bottom of his empty glass, a pinched expression of despair visible on his face.    
      "Bartender, another round?" Emily asked. Hotch slumped further down into his chair, sliding into a cramped position that did not look at all comfortable. "Two bourbons straight up for you, pretty lady—on the house." He flashed her a flirtatious grin, conspicuously flexing his biceps as he passed her the glass.  _ Works out, probably about 10 years younger than me, self centered, looking for an easy go of things. _ Emily thought. "Thanks, but I only date women who are far smarter and better looking than you. " She smirked like a cat at the barkeep’s indignant expression, then stalked off with her free bourbons in hand. He couldn't believe she had turned him down.    
    Emily walked over to Hotchner and dropped the glass in front of him, the liquid spilling a little on the table from the impact. "Drink,” she ordered.” You look like you need it."   
    "Thanks." He replied sullenly.    
    "Hotch, what's wrong? You look worse than me, and you aren't the one that almost got killed." She grinned in a vain attempt to lighten the mood.   
     "Call me Aaron,” he asked. “We're off duty. And I was worried about you, that you wouldn't make it. Thinking of you trapped there, with him. It was my fault..." He paused, and Emily took advantage of the lull to press down on his mouth with her hand. He looked surprised, and tried to mumble something through her fingers, but she clamped her hand down harder on his lips. "Aaron, it was not your fault. This was never your fault. It was my decision to volunteer." She took her hand away. "And I, for one do not blame you one bit." She smiled again, this time a little more tenderly.    
    "But the media—" He started, but Emily cut him off.    
    "Shut it. It happened, I'm fine, I don't blame you;  no one does. Now let it go and come dance with me." She smiled.    
    "Emily, I don't dance." He said, making a face. Understanding dawned on his face, disapproving and vaguely concerned despite his bemusement. "You're drunk, aren't you?" A hint of a smile crossed his lips.    
    "Yes I am, and yes you do, come on." Without warning, she grabbed his hand and yanked him out onto the floor. He didn't have time to protest before they were in the middle of an empty floor, on display for all to see. The song playing was one with beat, a pumping baseline with unintelligible lyrics; perfect for dancing. Emily began moving her body fluidly with the percussion, pulling Aaron along with her. She dipped down, then jumped up, swaying her hips in time with the music, and holding on to both of his hands tightly so he could do nothing but follow.    
     The smell of her hair was more intoxicating than the bourbon he shared with her. He reeled her in to his chest, then spun her back out. Hotch could barely follow her body as it moved to the music. She was bold, but graceful. She grinned at him, using a twirl to draw him in him closer. There really was no need: she had caught him already, hook line and sinker. He was so gone for her. 

Emily’s back was flush to his chest. Aaron could feel her heat everywhere they touched, lingering beneath his skin whenever she moved away. She felt so good, hot and gleaming with sweat in the muted light of the dance hall. It had been years since he had felt this free. His arm was draped carelessly across her upper body, his other rested on her waist. Aaron’s face was buried in her hair, he breathed her in, memorizing her scent. Emily's hand covered the one on her waist, the other one reached up to play with his own rumpled, ebony hair.   
    JJ stopped staring at Reid to look at the couple on the floor, and uttered a quick   _ finally _ . She turned back to her muse. Reid and Rossi both spun around in their wicker chairs to watch the only two dancers on the floor. 

Rossi murmured "took em' long enough." He chuckled. Reid smiled, and caught JJ's eye as he turned back to the game. He took Rossi's bishop with his knight, putting him in check. "Mate." He grinned. Rossi scowled, then reset the pieces for another round.

Morgan and Garcia stopped their conversation to stare at the couple on the dance floor. Morgan winked at Hotch, turning back to his 'baby girl'. Garcia gave Emily a reassuring smile, mouthing to 'go for it!' It seemed like the entire team knew the one thing that neither Hotch nor Prentiss had been able to figure out about the other.  
Until now, at least.  
    Emily spun back out, and continued her enticing dance. The song changed, a love ballad about some man's girlfriend who left him for another. Braver, Hotch pulled her close, not so that they were touching, but close enough that their heat radiated back and forth. He placed his hands around her slender waist, and she wrapped one arm around his muscular back. The other she placed on his shoulder.  

Without a single reservation, she closed the distance. 

He spoke her name, asking the question just with that one word. "Emily?"    
           "Shhh." She looked up. 

She could feel his warm, alcohol tainted breath on her face. She expected that hers smelled and felt the same. A sly smile passed over her lips. She brushed his mouth with her own. Pink, velvety lips met darker, rougher ones. His breath hit her cheek, and it sent another shiver down her spine.    
    Hotch used one hand to cup her soft face, while the other he rested on her back. He used his fingertips to draw small circles where his hand made contact, sending more involuntary tremors over her frame. He felt one of her hands snake into the back of his shirt, and the other one clutched his shoulder tightly.     
     She pressed closer to his body, and felt the hard lump beneath his belt. Emily grinned into the kiss, pressing into his hips further, eliciting a moan from Aaron’s slightly parted lips. He slipped his other hand to the back of her neck, sliding it beneath her red scarf. 

She let her hands roam around his back, feeling hard muscles beneath his sweaty dress shirt. They both knew, that this had to end before anyone suspected it was something more than a drunken kiss. They were masters of self deprivation and self control, but pulling away was the single hardest thing either of them had to do that day. 

She untangled herself from him, and turned slightly. The bartender who had tried to flirt with her earlier stood staring, dumbfounded.    
    Lust and envy were imprinted on his confused face. Emily turned her head away from Aaron, and gave the poor man a wink. The bartender’s mouth dropped open. The shot he was pouring sloshed over the edge of the glass, pooling into a clear puddle. "What's up with him?" Aaron asked.    
     "He tried to flirt with me and I let him know that I prefer girls. What I neglected to mention is that there are some guys I do have a thing for." She simpered devilishly up at him.   
    "Emily." He laughed. "Let's get out of here before we do something we regret?" He asked.    
    "Sure, my place or yours?" She responded in barely a whisper, running a hand through his dark hair.    
"How about..." He paused, to thread his fingers through her hair. "My place? Jack is on a trip with Jessica. They aren't due back for another week." He finished, letting go of her hair, and instead he found her hand. She smiled one last time, and let him lead her out the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcannon: Emily is Bi  
> Mild cliff hanger? Idk, i tried?  
> Honestly, the bartender might make a reappearance, either in the prequel, (HINT HINT im bad at being subtle) or in a later chapter, idk  
> I wrote a parallel "How it happened" but centered around a case, which I also might post after this one is done  
> UPDATE: I forgot the shower scene was in this. *turns red in embarrassment* this is rated explicit for a reason. The next chapter is that reason. *turns into a tomato*


	3. A Good Boy Breaks The Rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanky-Panky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Turns bright red in embarrassment and runs away, hiding face with hands* *Runs into a low hanging bar and knocks self out*

Before they knew what happened, Aaron was already opening the door to his apartment. Emily could barely see, and she fumbled with the door, attempting to close it in the dark. It was obvious Hotch had left a window open, as the cold December air had found its way into every nook and cranny throughout the dark apartment. He felt a hand on his back, and turned to face her in the dark. She placed a hand on his chest, the other resting on his back. He wrapped his arms around her warm body and leaned down to her ear. "Are you sure you want this? We can never take this back." He whispered.    
      "Shut up and kiss me." Emily ordered, pressing her body further into his. He brought his lips to her mouth, she eagerly sealed hers to his. The apartment was freezing, but Emily could feel the heat radiating off of Hotch. His shirt felt sweaty,  in need of removal. Her fingers worked with deft precision to unbutton the collared business shirt.    
    "Wait... but..." He protested meekly, voice thick with need.    
     "I've seen your scars already. Aaron, it's me. For once, stop worrying." She responded in all seriousness. He pulled the shirt off willingly, letting it drop to the cold wooden floor. She brushed her fingers lightly down his chest, feeling the ridges of scar tissue beneath them. They were faded now, not as stark as the last time she had seen them, but definitely still present. For each one she touched, she felt him shiver, whimpering through his teeth at the heat of her touch. An idea popped into Emily's head. She left his mouth, and began kissing her way down to his chest where the scars crisscrossed his perfect skin. She let her lips brush each one, claiming it as her own. On the last, she made eye contact with him.    
      "Don't be ashamed of them, please. I can't imagine what your memories are that are associated with these, and I'm not asking you to forget. I'm asking you to let it go." She pulled him into a quick hug, silencing him with a kiss.

He found his hands again, they were pulling the pretty V-neck up over her head, tossing it on the floor next to his. She felt the cold of the apartment hit her smooth skin, raising gooseflesh wherever she lacked Aaron’s touch. The feeling of discomfort didn't last. He was on her like a fox on a rabbit, wild and forceful. Lips, hands, skin, arms chests, hips, all burning together in the cold of the apartment. She didn't remember how her bra had disappeared. At some point, his belt and pants had been removed, leaving him standing in just his boxers.    
    "We should probably..." He trailed off.    
    "Fuck it." She responded. "Actually... Fuck me." 

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” Aaron smiled into their kiss. Emily broke away from his mouth, planting kisses down his jaw, following the smooth curve of his neck, and down the line of symmetry on his torso. Aaron groaned. Her featherlight lips felt so damn good. He had been starving for her touch, craving her lips.

He didn't remember how he had lost his boxers. Emily drew her tongue down the center of his abs, which involuntarily tensed as he arched into the contact. She brushed it down across his belly button, and smiled when he shivered with pleasure.Emily gently stroked his length with her tongue, eliciting another soft moan from his lips. She did it again, this time licking over the head as well. He moaned louder, she smiled up at him, but his eyes were closed and his head was tilted to the ceiling. 

Emily grinned wickedly. Without warning, she took his entire length into her mouth until she could feel the tip tickling the far back of her throat. A small whimper escaped his lips, his hands kneading themselves into her hair. She brought her head up, licking the underside of his cock the whole way, flicking the tip with her tongue. He groaned, his fingers tightening in her hair. She repeated the action, eliciting another moan from Aaron’s parted lips. Emily did this a few more times, she loved the sounds he made.

“Wait, please, want more.” Aaron breathed. 

“Condom?” Emily asked. 

“Drawer, behind you.” he responded. Emily turned around. She slid the drawer open, and grabbed one of the small plastic packages from inside. The plastic made a crackling noise as she opened and discarded the wrapper. 

With practiced ease, Emily slipped the condom onto Aaron’s cock. She stood up, and pulled him in for a kiss. He eagerly responded, slipping his tongue inside her lips. Emily wrapped her legs around his waist, he pushed her harder against the wall. With one hand, he squeezed her breast, then flicked his thumb over the nipple. She moaned in delight, sucking on his lip with her tongue. 

Aaron took this as an invitation to snake his other hand down. He found her clitoris fairly easily, he brushed his finger over it lightly. Emily whimpered, shuddering and rolling her hips into the stimulation. At the same time, she bit down on Aaron’s lip, drawing blood. They both tasted copper. Aaron didn’t mind. He teased her entrance with one finger. Emily moaned his name, and dear gods, how he loved hearing that sound. He lightly brushed over it again, while keeping constant movement with his thumb on her clitoris. 

“More, please!” Emily whimpered against his lips. He slid one finger inside of her, eliciting another beautiful moan from her soft pink lips. He removed his fingers from her opening, earning him a disappointed growl. 

“May I?” he asked. 

“Hell yes!” Emily responded enthusiastically.       
                                                             ***   
     Emily lay curled up in his arms, head tucked neatly beneath his chin. Meanwhile Aaron had his hand around her back, the other one tangled in her hair. Emily awoke first. She yawned into his chest, and looked up at the sleeping form of her boss. 'Well, that happened.' She thought. She remembered all the ways he had touched her, how gentle he was, and how amazing he had made her feel. It didn't take much time for him to awake as well, to see that the woman curled up in his arms was indeed Emily Prentiss.    
    "Did that just happen?" He asked.    
    "Yeah." She replied.    
    "That was..." He started.    
    "Yeah." She finished. Both of them smile, remembering the events of the night before. "What do we do now?" She asked.    
    "Talk I guess, figure it all out." He replied. "I felt this way about you for a while. Honestly, but Haley and the job and then Jack and I don't know...." He paused.    
    "Trust me, I felt this way about you for longer. So don't even go there." She said as she pecked him on the nose.    
    "If the Bureau finds out..." He trailed off.    
    "You know the rules, married team members as long as they sign some forms are allowed to be married but not date." She stopped. "But we aren't married... Hell we haven't even dated." She finished her sentence, sighing.    
    "We could try dating for a while, just keep it low. Ask the team to stay quiet about the bar, and say that we both were drunk." He paused, thinking." We can say that nothing happened we just talked."    
    "Good idea." Emily replied. "Good talk." Emily started to get up, but Aaron tightened his grip on her. "Whaa?" Emily whined.    
    "Wait? Please? I just... don't want this to end." Aaron whispered. Emily smiled, and pressed her lips to his, running her tongue along his bottom lip. He happily followed her lead and deepened the kiss. He let his tongue glide along her teeth, exploring as if it was the first time all over again. He playfully nipped her lip again, using his tongue to swirl away the sting. She smiled into the kiss, and gave him a little nip back. His arms tightened around her nude back, pulling her closer. She ran her hands through his hair, cradling the back of his skull. The two broke for air, panting.    
    "Ok, now I'm ready." He whispered, breathless.    
    "So, my place, six o'clock, wear something comfortable?" She said sweetly, grinning. He didn't trust that smile one bit.    
    "It's a date." He replied, grinning back.    
    "Ooh, Aaron Hotchner the Supervisory Special Agent of the BAU is breaking the rules." She sing songed, her grin spread even further across her face.    
    "You are worth breaking the rules for." He whispered, suddenly serious.    
    "My place, 6:00. Don't. Be. Late." She emphasized each word with a peck on the lips. Emily got up, and untangled herself from him, and put on her clothing that was scattered throughout the room. "Where is it?" She mumbled.    
    "You mean this?" He asked, holding out her red scarf. "It was under the table, I don't know how it got there." He snickered.    
     "Yes you do." She replied, winking. "Don't forget tonight."    
     "I'll be there." He said, opening the door for her.

"Bye." She pecked him once on the lips before departing.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rarely write smut. Still in the fluff section of this piece, there are about 9 more chapters of fluff and some plot... ha. it's gonna get serious around chapter 12. thank you for reading, and for the eight people so far who have left kudos, it makes me smile to get that little email notification.  
>  Actually, fun tidbit, I was having an absolutely terrible day last week, and I got an email saying that 4 people had left kudos, and that immediately brightened my day. (even through crew (rowing) which did its best to crush me) So, thank you so so so much to those of you who left kudos! I stayed smiling through three 2k pieces!   
> that's it from me on the personal aspect, sorry, I don't usually do that.   
> Thank you Dweeblet for editing. you are an absolute saint.


	4. AC/DC, Steak, A Cop Show, and A Life Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and Aaron have dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, I am really sorry, this should have been up weeks ago, its just been a crazy month. Good news, I will be posting more regularly from now on.   
> Second things second, I have always thought of Emily as being bisexual/bicurious, just as a precursor. its not amazingly relevant...yet.   
> Third things third: if you catch the NCIS reference, well done!, I do not own NCIS or CM.   
> Last things last, comments critiques and kudos are always appreciated. 
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. Yes that was an Imagine Dragons reference

    He spent the day working out, buying new food, cleaning his apartment, and waiting for the clock to strike 5:30. He got out of the shower, quickly toweling off his hair, pulling on some khaki cargo pants, and a plain black shirt.    
     She had spent the day first buying some food, then tidying up. Once she finished that, she had started to cook the two rib eyes early afternoon, and was finally done setting up when the doorbell rang. 

Except she didn't hear it.    
    Aaron walked to the door and rang the bell. He could hear loud hard rock music that was shaking the floor slightly. He rang again, holding the red roses in a way that he could knock and not hurt them. He recognized the song instantly, "Hells Bells" by AC/DC. He let out a sigh, and waited by the door. Ringing the bell every so often.    
    Emily began to get impatient, she continued to work, but finally decided to call Aaron. "Hey where are you, it's 6:10?"    
    "I'm at your door, and I've been here for the last ten minutes. Wanna let me in?" He said casually.    
     "Oh my god Aaron I am so sorry!" She rushed to the door and opened it. Her cheeks immediately flushed bright pink. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so so so sorry. I'm sorry." She looked at the floor. "I tend to listen to loud music when I cook and well I didn't hear the bell. I'm so sorry." She looked up.    
     "It's okay, it's great music, reminds me of when we were younger." He winked, putting the roses on the door table and grabbing her hand. 

‘What do you mean?” Emily asked, cocking an eyebrow, “we are young.” He led her into a dance, to the song "Missing You" by All Time Low. Then it switched to "Immortals" By Fall Out Boy. After that it was "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. When it switched to "She's Out of Her Mind" by Blink 182, they finally stopped. He pulled her in from her spin, pressing her against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her back, lacing the other into her hair.    
       She leaned up, pressing her lips to his. After a moment, they broke for air, pausing to look each other in the eye. "I'm sorry." She whispered.    
      "Don't be." He said back, and kissed her nose. "Let's see what you cooked." He picked up the roses and handed them to her. "Oh and these are for you." He winked.    
     "Oh thank you, how nice, let me find some water for them." She replied. She placed the roses in a glass vase, and filled it with water from the tap. "Go sit. Get comfortable. I will be out in a bit with the food." She smiled, motioning for him to go to the couch. "Find a nice channel for us to watch."    
     "Alright, anything preferred?" He asked.    
     "Something not boring, Maybe something with some action?" She replied, whipping around and stalking into the kitchen. Aaron smiled, and walked to the couch. He plopped down, and grabbed the remote, surfing through the channels. She walked out a few minutes later, carrying two plates and two bottles. Each plate had a beautifully cooked steak, dripping with butter and sauce, as well as broccoli and mashed potatoes with gravy. There were thinly sliced tomato and mozzarella with basil, and to top it all off, it was designed in such a way that the colors blended but didn't mix, it was surprisingly pleasing to look at, and smelled delicious. Hotch turned his head, as he could smell the steak from where he was.    
    "What is this..." He said in awe. She laughed a little, and passed him his plate and beer bottle.    
    "My mother made me take cooking classes from when I was 13 until I was 17. She was very into etiquette. The first time I tried to make something, let's just say there was a lawsuit that we won, but barely." She snickered, and sat down next to him. She passed a knife and fork to him, and he tested his food.    
     "This is amazing, I can't even believe what I'm eating right now, it's it's it's... I can't describe it." His face lit up, and he hurriedly tested the other foods on his plate. "How can someone cook this well..." He asked, still with a mouthful of steak in his mouth.    
    "We lived in France for a few years, then Italy, and we spent a year in Japan. My mom naturally kept me in the classes, just with different teachers. I didn't learn much from the French girl at first, always yelling at me in French, which at the time I didn't understand. Eventually I picked up some key phrases though. Then came the Italian guy. He knew how to speak English, and enjoyed teaching me, and giving me drinks. He's where I also learned my wines. Then came the Japanese woman. She was my favorite, spoke perfect English, was a spectacular teacher and had a daughter my age who I liked to hang out with. She was cool, and cooked with us sometimes." She laughed as she remembered her. "Her name was Izana, she and I were... Close. My mom had us move again when she found out... That didn't stop me from keeping in touch with her though. We still talk. She's married now, to a very nice American girl from San Diego California whom I got the chance to meet at their wedding. I was so happy for her. We dated for 8 months. She was so cool. Got me into some pretty sweet bands I had never heard of. She showed me Tokyo, we would go out every night, she even taught me to speak a little Japanese. It was great." She smiled, and looked up from her food. "Sorry, that was long. You probably didn't want to know...." She looked back down, suddenly embarrassed, and set her empty plate on the table next to his.    
    "Thank you for telling me that. It was really interesting, and I want to know more about you, who you were, how you became you. I'm being honest, I know it sounds cliche but I do. You interest me Emily Prentiss, you are a puzzle, my puzzle, and I want to figure you out." He reached for her hand, a look of sincerity burned in his eyes. "Let me know you, be there for you. I want this, you..." He gripped her hand tighter, and pulled her close to him. Already, she was blushing furiously. He wrapped his other arm around her back, and looked intently into her dark brown eyes. "Us." He whispered. She grinned at him, not the tight lipped one she used to feign emotion, but her real sincere beautiful smile that few people had ever witnessed.    
"I do too." She whispered back, kissing him gently on the lips. It wasn't a desperate attempt to gain control, nor a sexy, lust filled kiss, but one that made clear all their feelings, the ones they couldn't verbalize, but needed so desperately to show. He gripped her back tighter, pulling her into him, and let go of her hand to find her face. She brought one hand to his shoulder blades, the other she used to play with his hair. The kiss intensified, Emily Prentiss took one last look into Aaron Hotchner's eyes, sharing one last glance before letting another part of her take over, the part that had been dreaming of this since the day she met this man, the only man who had managed to steal her heart.    
    He let his eyes fall shut, and focused every ounce of his soul on showing this amazing woman how much he really cared for her. He hugged her tighter, so that their was no space left between them. He cradled her head in his massive hand, and began to massage her back with the other. She leaned into him, and adjusted her hold on his back. He had never felt as passionate about someone, not even Haley. Nothing could compare to the way he was feeling about this woman, nothing. All he could think about was her. Her smile, how beautiful she looked in her cut up AC/DC T-Shirt and black leggings, and the way she touched him, where  her fingers landed, where their skin touched, it felt as though each of his nerve endings caught fire, sending a tingly and warm sensation through his body filling him with bliss. He never wanted that sensation to end.    
    She pulled away to grab a breath. "You know, I could get used to this." She grinned.   
     "You know, I could too." He smiled back, showing his dimples that people so rarely saw. The night carried on, consisting of Emily curled into Aaron's arms as they watched some crime TV show. The main character was a steely looking man, with silver hair and cobalt blue eyes. His team consisted of seven other people. One of them was a class clown type guy, good looking, joker, he got slapped on the back of the head a lot. The other male field agent was a nerdy beanpole, tall and skinny, he was the one who always hacked someone's email or dove into their personal life. Like Garcia but less... Pink. Then there was a woman, international spy girl, perfect at martial arts, bullseye shot, the kind of girl who knew how to kill someone 18 different ways with a paperclip. After her came the goth lab tech, obsessed with music and chemistry, rocked the dyed black hair, even wore a dog collar. The two M.E.'s were a good pair. The older one was the boss, he told stories, and was the one who gave the main character some key information about the case which led him to crack it. Finally there was the assistant, he didn't know when to shut up, constantly saying the wrong thing and messing up, which the older one would have to fix. Comic relief.    
     "He reminds me of you." Emily whispered.    
     "Who does?" Hotch murmured in her ear.   
     "The male lead. Serious, strong, intelligent, kind, and doesn't smile enough." She replied, tapping his nose playfully.   
     "You make me smile." He whispered. "It's late... What should we...?" He trailed off.    
     "Spend the night, we can go in together tomorrow." She stood, and pulled him with her. "Come on."    
    They both fell asleep as soon at the lights in the little bedroom went out. It was a dream come true for him. She lay curled into his arms, sleeping peacefully. He hugged her close, and rested his chin on the top of her head. She shifted, curling herself deeper into his arms. The alarm went off at 6:00. As if like clockwork, Emily and Aaron both got out of bed at the same time, and began their routine. Emily took her 4 minute shower, dried her hair, and dressed for work. Aaron did the same, the two were ready to go in no time.    
    "Scarf?" He grinned devilishly, handing her the red crocheted scarf to her. She tightened it around her neck, grabbed her go bag, and walked to the door.    
    "Thanks.” Emily rolled her eyes. "My car is down in the garage, ready to go?" She opened the door.    
    "Yep, let's go." He responded.    



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron's life story ish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I remember correctly, it was cannon that Aaron was abused by his father. I elaborated a little bit on that in this chapter. This takes place after 5.13. my brain identified Christopher and Hotch as being kinda similar, so I took that and rolled with it. This chapter has a lot of references to abuse, and there are a few descriptions of it. Fluffy at the end, also is pretty cliche, sorry, mini-me was not very creative.   
> I'll post a summary at the end in case you want to skip, after the first *   
> Comments critiques and Kudos always appreciated.   
> As much as I wish I did, I don't own CM, *shakes fist at producers* If I did, Thomas Gibson would STILL BE HERE *side eye at the producers* totally not salty about that. At all. *raises eyebrow*

     Work was normal, they managed to convince the team nothing happened that night. In the office, they kept it professional, during a case when Emily was taken hostage by the un-sub, it took all of his willpower not to rush in and save her. But he knew that if he did that, she would most likely end up dead. When they had gotten home, she had gone over to his house, and he had done everything he could to keep her mental pain at a minimum. When she finally broke down, he was there for her, and hugged her close until she stopped shaking. 

                                                                        *   
      The cases with children always got him. He saw cases every day of women beaten and murdered, men tortured and killed, homeless people set to burn, bodies so unrecognizable even friends and relatives couldn't identify the faces of their loved ones. But the ones with children, specifically boys like he had been, it just hit him where it hurt. It reminded him of how his father had treated him, how he had beaten him, destroyed him until he had nothing left but the skin on his back, and even that was questionable.

He remembered crawling up to his room, attempting to patch up the worst of the belt marks and finger length bruises around his neck so his teachers wouldn't ask questions. Asking for help was an impossibility. Seeing cases so similar to his own, he knew he had to help these kids, save them from their monster the way he wished someone had saved him from his. 

When he saw the young boys with those same marks, and their lifeless eyes staring into space, it reminded him of how lucky he was that his father hadn't killed him or his young brother.    
      He didn't want to admit it, but he identified with Christopher. he saw all the signs of abuse, even before he saw the bruises on his neck. He knew what it was like to hide your scars, to try and cover up the limp, and lock yourself away in your mind. He knew because that's what he did. It was no surprise to him when the un-sub turned out to be the boy's father. 

                                                      *   
      He went to her house that night, Jack was at Jessica's, he told her he needed her to take care of him one more night. They were sitting on the couch together, watching their favorite show, when it happened. He started to cry, silently at first, but then it turned into loud shaking sobs, he hid his face in his hands, embarrassed that he had let himself breakdown.

Emily didn't miss a beat. The TV was turned off, and she wrapped her arms around him.    
     She held him while he choked out sob after sob, words would mean nothing, so she stayed quiet, and simply was there for him. 

He cried because of the suicides, because of all the horrible things he saw every day, he cried because even though his father was dead, he still scared him, scared him more than any serial killer he had ever met. He cried for Christopher, because for most of his life he had no one. He cried because he felt so hopeless, useless, as if he wasn't making a difference. And most of all, he cried because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to protect Emily if another George Foyet came to take her.    
     She pulled him into her, so that her arms encompassed his back, and his head rested under her chin. She kissed the top of his head, and massaged his back, trying to calm him. She wanted so badly to know what was wrong but knew that now was not the time to ask. 

Emily remembered the night in her apartment when she couldn't take it anymore, when she cried herself to sleep because she knew there was nothing else she could do. She wanted nothing more than to have someone there to hug her and tell her it was okay, and hug her until her tears stopped.

She was there for him, in the one way she wished someone had been there for her. 

  
     Eventually he stopped shaking, and his tears stopped. "Emily..." He whispered. "I'm sorry you had to see that, I didn't think... I thought I was... St-stronger." He collapsed into her again.    
     "Aaron Hotchner, I will always be here for you, you don't have to hide your emotions from me. I promise you it's not a sign of weakness and it's not wrong." She ended with gusto, and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "I'll always be here for you." She whispered softly.    
     "But what if you're... Not?” fuck it, he was going to tell her, “What if another Foyet comes along and takes you away from me? I couldn't handle that I just couldn't.”    
    "No one like George Foyet can get to me. I'm pretty sure you would kill them, and if you didn't I would before they got to you. She gently kissed him, attempting to give him something to hold on to. He kissed her harder, and cradled her head in his hand. He brought his other one to rest on her shoulder blades. They stayed like that for a moment, she could feel his body relax, his tears ceasing. She broke the kiss, and leaned her forehead against his.    
    "Talk to me?" She asked.    
    "I've never told anyone this, but when I was a child, until the day he died, my father beat me." He paused. "At first it was okay, I would get the worst of it, but I could take it, and my mother would stay unharmed. But then when my brother was born and he grew up a little, he started to get it too. The scars on my back, they aren't from a dog attack, they're from his belt. My father, he would get drunk, and then beat me. If I cried he would call me weak and strike harder, if I tried to run away he would go for my mom or when she died, he would go after my brother. I had to take it so they would stay safe. He would tire himself out and I would crawl back up to my room and patch myself up." He took a shaky breath, holding on to her hand like an anchor. "He drank himself to death the night of my junior prom. Even though he's dead, I still see him in each killer we catch. Even though he's dead, I'm still so afraid of him." She pulled him tighter to her body.    
    "Thank you, for trusting me, and telling me. I can't say this enough, I will always be here for you. Your father can't get you anymore, he's gone. I know how it feels to be afraid of the shadows, and know that you can always come to me, no matter what." She stopped for a second Ian Doyle flashing across her mind’s eye. He disappeared in a blink. 

"Let's go to bed? You look like you could use some sleep." She stood, and pulled him with her.    
    A mischievous look flashed in his eyes. "Are you sure we have to go to bed right away?" He grinned.    
    "Maybe not right away... In a little bit?" She pulled him towards the bedroom, her own expression mirroring his. She opened the door for him, and he walked into the dark room. She closed the door, immediately feeling pressure on her back from behind. He kissed her neck, trailing up her jawline to her mouth. She turned her head, their lips crashing together.  She spun around, back to the door. He set to work on getting her T-Shirt off of her. They broke contact for a second, just enough time for her her shirt to land in a corner of the room.    
     "Feeling better?" She asked breathlessly.    
     "Getting there." He whispered, tracing her spine with his finger up to the clasp on her bra. His fingers expertly uncoupled it, letting it fall to the floor. She pressed her hips into him, lifting his shirt over his head, and sensually dragged her fingernails up his back lightly. Chest to chest, he cupped her face with one hand, and let the other fall to her stomach near the waistline of her yoga pants. She moaned into the kiss, and pressed her body into his touch. He dragged his nails up the line of symmetry on her stomach, and gently caressed one of her breasts, making her moan again, her nails digging deeper into his back as the nipple hardened at his touch.    
     He kissed his way down her jaw, her neck, to her breast. He gently kissed the other one, drawing another moan from her. He retracted his path back to her mouth, and kissed her hard on the lips. She responded with just as much fire, kicking off the wall and pushing him on his back to the bed. Emily undid his belt buckle, and pulled his pants to his ankles, he kicked them off from there.    
     He spent the night taking her apart piece by piece   
     She spent the night putting him back together    
    They were broken apart, but together-- they felt whole again.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hotch talks about getting abused as a child. He and Emily comfort each other, (Hanky-panky)   
> ***Yes I really love that word


	6. Singing in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> winter storm time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I have to say is... oh dear. Mini me tried to make it cute? its up to you to decide if that worked or not. credit goes to All Time Low for their song, Edge of Tonight. I personally just don't really like this chapter, I was going to rewrite it, but mini me reaaaaallly wanted to post this. I could tell because of the notes I was writing to myself dated early 2015.   
> Comments kudos and critiques always appreciated

    Months flew by like seconds. They had a standing dinner at her house one night every week they were in DC. Then it became two nights a week, when she would come over his house and then he would go over to hers. Soon it was every night, one of them was always at the others house. At first, they would only eat togetherness go home. After a few months, they would eat and watch tv, then head back. More time passed, until finally they would eat, watch tv, and spend the night together. A year went by, and neither of them noticed.

Until one day.    
     It was dinner at her place, they were snuggled up together on the couch like they usually were on cold Saturday nights. It was snowing outside, the flakes pelted the window, and the wind let loose a low howl every now and then. The apartment shuddered as the winter storm hit with full force, each time the house rocked, she curled herself closer into his arms. When the gust blew again, this time particularly loud, she shuddered, and whimpered a little.

    "Em, what's wrong? Is the storm bothering you?" He asked, a concerned expression etching itself into his face.   
    "Ever since I was little, since the accident, I don't like storms. They scare me, I hate to admit it but they do." She nestled deeper into him, wincing as the apartment shook again.   
     "Shh, it's okay, tell me what happened, I promise nothing can hurt you. " He whispered, stroking her hair and pulling her close.   
     "I was 11, we were in Davos Switzerland for some business. My mother was in a meeting, and had sent me out for the day to adventure in the alps with a guide, a winter storm picked up. We were stranded in a cabin for 2 days. The snow had hit so hard that it broke windows. We had to use couch cushions to plug them. I just remember being so terrified that the roof would cave in. Since then, I've been terrified of storms." She shuddered, another shiver ran through her body as the wind howled louder.   
     "Hey now, don't worry. I'm here with you, this storm isn't too bad, it's just high winds. You're safe with me, I promise." He hugged her, noticing that her body was visibly shaking. "Lets go to bed, I'm sure the storm will subside. It's quieter there anyways, come on it will be okay, I promise." He lifted her up, she tried to give him one of her 'Emily looks', but instead of her usual fierce expression, he saw two soft brown eyes filled with fear.   
     "Okay." She whispered. He carried her to the bedroom, pulling back the covers of her four poster bed and set her down in the middle. She curled up into a little ball, he pulled the covers over her. He slipped in next to her, and inched closer to her, wrapping his big arms around her body. Thunder, the howl of the wind, and the creaking of the apartment weren't enough to send her over the edge, but when lightning flashed so bright you could see it through the shades, she began to cry.   
     "Shh, don't worry I'm here now, we are safe here, I promise you I will not let anything hurt you." Then the unimaginable happened. Aaron Hotchner began to sing.   
  
It's a long way home,  
When you're on your own,  
And your only friends are the traffic lights,  
Speaking in morse code,  
(Yea) The road is long,  
And I am tired,  
But with you on my horizon,  
I will drive until it all breaks down  
  
He put everything he had into it, trying desperately to show her how he felt, how far he had fallen for her. This was the moment when the emotionless man of steel finally realized that he loved the woman curled into his arms. He sang for her, he sang to put all the emotion and feelings he had had for her out there. He meant every word that came out of his mouth.   
  
'Cause I can't breathe without you near,  
You keep me safe,  
You keep me sane,  
You keep me honest,  
You keep me alive,  
On the edge of tonight,  
Chasing tomorrow,  
With fire in my eyes, (yea)  
You're like a siren in the dark,  
You're the beat playing in my heart,  
You keep me alive,  
On the edge of tonight, (yea)  
  
She relaxed, let the soothing sounds of his voice calm her and distract her from the storm outside. She let his words sweep her away into her own little world. She snuggled closer, pulling his arms tighter around her body. Finally, she felt safe. Emily let her eyes close, and the tears ceased.   
  
Spent my whole damn life,  
Trying to get things right,  
And for every one of my mistakes,  
You gave me all these chances,  
When the roads too long,  
And I am tired,  
You are my horizon,  
And I'll drive until it all breaks down,  
  
He felt her relax and kept singing, hoping that she would fall asleep and the storm outside would become a bad dream to be forgotten. He tightened his grip, pulling her into his body so she matched perfectly with him. He used his thumb to wipe the tear tracks off her face, and felt her smile. His voice was rough, untrained, but beautiful all the same. Ordinary to most, but for her, a phoenix song.   
  
You keep me alive,  
On the edge of tonight,  
Chasing tomorrow,  
With fire in my eyes, (yea)  
You're like a siren in the dark,  
You're the beat playing in my heart,  
You keep me alive,  
On the edge of tonight, (yea)  
  
She snuggled closer, so there were no gaps between them. She let her legs tangle with his. He put his chin on her head, and softly stroked her hair to keep her calm.   
  
We're on the edge of tonight  
Edge of tonight  
You keep me safe,  
You keep me sane,  
You keep me honest, honest, honest (standing on the edge of tonight)  
On the edge of tonight  
On the edge of tonight  
On the edge of tonight  
(Edge of Tonight by All Time Low.)   
  
    "I love you." She whispered. She felt his body quiver for a second, as if he didn't expect her to say that. Then louder she said, "I love you, and I wanted to tell you that. I was going to tonight, but I was afraid you didn't love me back. So I didn't, but now seemed like the time to say it, I love you. You make me feel whole again. I can't imagine my life without you, I'm yours, and I will be forever." She finished. She was worried. _What if I went too far? Does he feel the same? Is it too soon? What if I fucked up?_ She thought.   
     "Emily, I love you too, I have for a while now, I've just been afraid to say it. I was afraid that I had fallen in too deep, that you didn't love me back, that I was going to lose you and get hurt all over again. I don't think I could handle that. You are my whole world, my other half. I love you, I will forever." He turned, allowing their expressions to meet.Without hesitation, she tilted her head, allowing their lips to meet.   
     He closed his eyes as her lips meet his, and for once he allowed himself just be. Thoughts of the cases and the paperwork, the team and Strauss flew out of his head. The only thing left on his mind was Emily. Her chocolate brown eyes could hypnotize any man if he stared into them for too long. Her tight waist and small hips coupled with her broad shoulders, nicely sized breasts, and long legs,  if she wore a dress that was even a little bit skintight, the male population would drop like files wherever she walked. If that wasn't enough, she was kind, strong, smart, funny, loyal, adventurous, and witty. And she was his. He really was the luckiest man on earth.   
    Every doubt, worry, fear, or reservation flew out the window, she let her walls down, and let him see the real her. She had never felt this strongly about a man before. The only person who had come close was Izana, and that had ended badly. From that first time she realized she had feelings for him, he had never left her thoughts. She constantly would find herself admiring his huge shoulders, the way his body tapered down to a skinny waist and long muscular legs. If he bent down to grab something, she would catch herself admiring his ass, then glancing back at her work. God he had nice biceps. She let herself think about him, and stopped bottling up any emotion that flew her way. For the first time in a long long time, she let herself feel. At the moment, all her feelings pointed to him.   
    They broke for air, both panting from lack of oxygen. He hugged her close, afraid that if he let go, even for a second, she would be just a memory. She curled herself tighter into his arms. In her life, only one thing came after becoming this close to someone, and that was heartbreak, she knew that something bad was going to happen soon, as much as she didn't want it to. Disaster followed her wherever she went. "What if..." He hugged her tighter, preventing her from finishing her sentence.   
    "No, no what ifs, we have something, something real, I can't lose this, not ever. Please don't finish that thought, I think I know where it was going to go because I'm pretty sure I had the same one. I just want to be with you. I love you Emily." He whispered.  
    "Okay, I love you too." She spoke softly. They fell asleep quickly, the red velvet box still in his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sobbing* I BROKE SO MANY RULES I"M SORRY


	7. Hope Always Comes From Friday Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ and Spencer talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has references to abuse. if you wish to skip, scroll down once you reach JJ and Reid's convo.  
> Kudos comments and critiques are always welcome.  
> thank you all for sticking with me this far! love you guys!

  The team spent the day going through paperwork and sorting case reports. Rossi left first, using the excuse of "I have to go drink something expensive after the day I've had." Morgan and Garcia were next, they headed to Morgan's house, no doubt for their movie night. Emily and Hotch were second to last, they walked out wishing everyone good night. That left JJ and Reid.

"I can see the bruises through your shirt. You don't have to hide it from me, I've been noticing for a while now. Will is abusing you, isn't he?" Reid stated quietly. A pained expression crossed JJ's face.    
      "I suppose I should tell someone." She sighed. “Yes, he is. I want to leave him so badly but when I try he just gets so mad... I can't do it." She sat on the edge of her desk. "I can't do this anymore, I'm barely sleeping and hiding it from the team, I just can't. Spence, what do I do?" She asked, her body shook, it was obvious she was trying not to cry.    
     "Come back with me tonight, you can't stay with him. I promise you will be safe with me. He doesn't know where I live." Reid suggested. He stepped closer to her, and tentatively wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her shoulders ever so gently.    
    "Okay." She whispered. JJ stood, and hugged Reid tighter. He flinched a little.  She started to sob into his shoulder, and he tightened his grip, waiting for her to stop crying. He really didn’t know what to do when he was around someone who was crying. He supposed the best option would be to offer support, at least that was what the books he had read said to do.     
    "Shh, it's okay. I'm here for you. Let's walk to the car and get you patched up okay?" He walked her down through the deserted FBI Headquarters, and opened the door for her at the car. By then she had stopped crying. She sat and stared silently out the window, a vacant expression in her eyes. 

                                                                      ***   
    They arrived at his building. He got out, and walked around to her side to find her fast asleep. He opened the door and picked her up. He carried her upstairs to his apartment, and set her down on his bed. She really wasn’t that heavy. He gently put her head on the pillow and pulled the covers over her. She sighed and curled into the comforter. He walked to his closet and pulled some spare bedding out for his couch.    
     "Spence?" She asked. He dropped the sheets and walked in. "It's okay, you don't mind sharing a bed right?" She asked. He shook his head, taking his shoes off and slipped under the covers next to her.    
     "Since you're awake, do you want to put some bandages on?" He asked. She nodded and got up.    
     "I just realized, I don't have any clothing." She whispered.   
     "You can borrow some of mine." He replied. He pulled a T-Shirt out of his dresser and some sweatpants. He put them on the bed and left the room. She changed into them quickly.    
    "Okay." She called. She stood up. The shirt was giant on her, and the sweatpants she had to tighten completely, but she didn't mind, they smelled like Spencer and she liked that.    
   "I have some bandages, would you like to put them on?" Spencer asked.    
   "Uh yeah, thank you. Can you help me?"She lifts her shirt to her solar plexus, showing the bruises. Some were fresh, deep purple and blue, others were yellow and green, still healing. Reid almost started crying out of anger when he saw them. How could someone do that to such an amazing woman? He saw hand prints around her exposed neck, as well as a cut which was still healing stretched across her abdomen. JJ was such a wonderful person, so sweet, so intelligent, so beautiful.    
    Only a monster could do this to a person like JJ. Reid did everything he could to keep himself from crying for her. It hurt him so much to see the physical abuse she had to endure. He carefully wrapped the bandages around her battered torso, taking care to touch her as lightly as he could. He clipped the one on her torso together, and moved to her neck. He lightly placed another bandage there.     
    "All done. Want to lie down now?" He asked.    
    "Yeah. That would be nice." She replied. He got in quickly, pulling the covers up. She followed, pulling the covers over her shoulders, facing him.    
    "Spence, thank you." She whispered.    
    "Always here for you Jennifer." He replied.    
    "I'm sorry." She whispered softly.    
    "JJ, you can thank me, you can hate me, hell, you can say whatever you want to me, but never ever apologize for this. Never. This is not your fault, never has it been your fault. You couldn't control it, and you came to me for help. Don’t apologize because you didn't do this. I am here for you I always will be JJ, Will did this to you, you didn't. He should be apologizing to you and begging you to forgive him, something he doesn't deserve to have. Only a monster could do something like this to someone like you. JJ you are the most beautiful, kind, caring, smart, strong, intelligent woman I know. The fact that he could manipulate you and then do this to you is outright horrible. So say what you want to me, but don't apologize." Spencer stopped, and took a deep breath.    
    "I love you." She said quietly. He breathed in sharply. "I love you." She said louder.    
    "JJ, you probably are just confused, you are very emotional right now, it's best not to say something you don't mean..." He trailed off. He hoped that this wasn't just a blind spur of the moment act.    
    "Spence, I love you, but I thought you would never like me in the way I did. I dropped clues and hints, but you never took them. I started dating Will, and you pushed me to him, that was it. I thought you really didn't like me as more than just a friend. But now I'm saying it, because I can, because I'm holding out hope that these feelings are mutual. You told me I could say whatever I wanted, so this is what I'm saying, I love you Spencer." 

He had been dreaming of this for so long, and now it was real, but this couldn’t be happening right now. As badly as he wanted this, he couldn’t have it. Her face was tilted, moving closer to his, her eyes closed. In an act of impressive self restraint, he gently tilted her head away. 

“Wha?” JJ opened her eyes, confused. 

“JJ, trust me, the feeling is mutual. But we can’t have this right now,” he sighed. 

JJ shifted so her head rested on her elbow, and she was laying on her side, facing him. “Why can’t we?” She asked, “we both feel the same way, we are adults.” 

Spencer strategically placed his arm around her shoulder, “because of everything that is going on,” he explained, “it would be better to hold off on exploring this,” he squeezed her shoulder, “until we figure out everything else. Right?” 

“I guess you’re right, that’s why they pay you the big bucks, huh?” JJ joked, “Since you’re the resident genius.” a small smile ghosted over her lips. 

“Actually, I will have you know that I make as much as everyone else does in our unit,” he explained, falling right for the bait. 

“I’m just messing with you, Spence.” JJ giggled, ruffling his hair. 

“I-I really like it when you call me that.” he muttered softly, “you’re the only one who does.” 

“You do?” JJ quirked an eyebrow, “I always thought that you just put up with it from me, didn’t you tell Morgan off the first day you arrived when he called you that?” 

“I didn’t like it much when anyone else called me ‘Spence,’ but, I liked it when you said it.” he smiled sheepishly. 

“We should go to sleep, it’s getting late, and we have quite the day ahead.” Spencer moved to get up, but JJ stopped him by gripping the hand that rested on her shoulder. 

“Don’t go.” She pleaded, “I agree with what you said, but please don’t leave me alone.” 

“Alright,” Spencer gave in, “ I’ll stay.” 

JJ smiled ardently, “thanks, Spence.” 

“Anything for you, Jayje.” Spencer responded, allowing her to shift until her back was flush with his chest. He pillowed her head with one arm, the other he used to pull her close. She shifted herself until she was comfortably curled into his body. He closed his eyes, smiling contentedly and breathing in her scent. He waited and listened as her breath evened out. Soon after she fell asleep, he allowed the tiredness from the day to send him drifting off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Reid confronts JJ about being abused by Will.  
> Reid is usually shy and awkward, but when he is around JJ, he always seems more relaxed, and at ease. That is why his dialog here is less... awk that the way I would usually write him. also why there aren't any statistics. From my experiences with this, its better if people don't start immediately with numbers. Sometimes it is better to talk to a friend.  
> If you are struggling with abuse, whether it be physical, emotional, sexual, or otherwise, please reach out to someone, a trusted friend or family member. It really is worth it. The longer you wait, the worse it will get. this is a number for The National Sexual Assault Hotline,800.656.HOPE (4673) If you feel you are in trouble and you have no idea what to do, these are just a few options, you have many.  
> Love y'all, stay safe.


	8. If You're Going Through Hell...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ and Spencer confront Will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhh boy. sorry this is 19 minutes late. its been a really nutty week, I can't believe it's Sunday!!! Title is a reference to one of my favorite quotes, see if you can guess who it's by. This chapter has reference to abuse, and some mild violence, be warned. summary at the end  
> comments kudos and critiques are always appreciated.  
> I don't own CM

As much as Spencer didn’t want to get up, he knew he had to. He decided in that moment, he could most certainly get used to waking up every morning like this. But that was still just a dream. 

“Morning, Jayje” Spencer whispered, gently playing with her hair in an attempt to wake her up. 

The sleeping blonde rolled onto her stomach, “too early.” JJ grumbled, “Wanna sleep more.” 

“JJ, it’s already…” Spencer quickly checked the analog clock behind him, “11:30! We really need to start getting ready.” He rolled off the side of the bed, landing on his feet. “I’m going to get changed, you probably should too, your clothes are on the chair in the corner, okay?” 

JJ mumbled something incoherent, “fine.” 

She flopped to her back, “be out in five.” 

“Three?” Spencer requested.

“That’s what I said,” JJ grumbled something else Spencer didn’t understand. 

“Alright, alright, see you in two,” he winked. JJ growled in response. Spencer quickly grabbed some clothes and left for the bathroom. He shut the door noisily behind him, he knew full well that she could easily fall right back to sleep, and right now they both needed to be at the top of their game. 

Spencer shut the door to the bathroom and locked it, something he rarely did, seeing as he lived alone. He easily stepped out of his sweatpants, and pulled on a pair of black slacks. He pulled off his shirt and exchanged it for a nice button down and vest. He had forgotten to grab a tie, something he would definitely pick up on the way out. Spencer straightened his hair and threw some water on his face to wake himself up. 

He and JJ exited at the same time. She was dressed in her clothes from last night, aside from the blouse being a little rumpled, she looked as though she had chosen the outfit this morning, rather than yesterday. Her hair had decided to go ‘poof’ as stated in modern vernacular. He thought he might offer her some time to fix it. 

“How are you doing?” Spencer asked, grabbing a spare tie from the drawer he kept in the living room. 

“Hmmmmm… coffee.” JJ responded groggily. 

“We can get some on the way,” Spencer called over his shoulder as he grabbed his keys. “I’ve got a spare toothbrush and hair comb in the bathroom if you wanted to use them,” he pointed to the open door. 

“Thank,” JJ stumbled, bleary-eyed, across the living room and entered the bathroom. Spencer perched himself on the edge of his couch, patiently waiting for her to finish. He heard her humming something to herself in the bathroom. 

JJ exited a few minutes later, looking much more like the JJ he saw at the office. She still had purple under her eyes, but apart from that it would be almost impossible to see anything was different. He sighed,  _ I guess all of us are good at hiding things.  _

“Ready?” Spencer opened the door for her. 

“Yup,” JJ replied, “thank you.” 

“No problem.” He followed her out then locked the door. They walked together down the stairs and out the door of the apartment building. They exited to the street, and followed the sidewalk until they got to the door of the garage where Spencer kept his car. They got into the elevator and descended two levels to B. 

“That’s your car isn’t it?” JJ pointed to the SUV parked next to one of the columns. 

“Yes,” Spencer said, looking for his keys in his vest pocket. He found them, and clicked the unlock button. 

He settled himself in the driver’s seat, and waited for JJ to fasten her seatbelt. Spencer started the car and backed out of the parking space. They exited the garage, Spencer turned left onto the road that would take him and JJ to her house. 

They drove in silence. Both of them were anxious about the coming confrontation; JJ picked at her nails, a telltale sign Spencer looked  for whenever he was trying to gauge what she was thinking. 

He knew there were rules against profiling each other, every team member had unanimously agreed to having that be their rule one. But it was so difficult not to…  especially during times like these. Not that there were very many times like this, but still. He glanced over at JJ out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting with her elbow on the armrest, staring absentmindedly out the window. 

“JJ?” Spencer said quietly.   
“Yeah, Spence?” she turned her gaze from the street to him. 

Spencer cleared his throat nervously, “we should probably come up with a plan.” 

JJ picked her head up and nodded, “you’re right, we should.” 

“As much as I want to do as much as I can to help,” Spencer started, “I think you have to tell Will yourself that you are leaving him.” 

“O-okay,” JJ shuddered involuntarily, “I’ll be the one to do it.” JJ looked down at her lap, “could you maybe,” she paused. 

“Could I what?” Spencer prompted.

“Could you please be there, in case he--” JJ stuttered to a stop. 

Spencer tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles whitening, “in case he tries to hurt you again?” 

JJ nodded, “yeah.” she whispered. 

“Should I bring my side arm?” Spencer reached for the glove box, but JJ stopped him. 

“No, it will only escalate things further.” JJ scratched at her fingernail. 

“You’re right.” Spencer conceded. “I will knock on the door, you stay behind me. You should say what you need to say then grab what you need. We can get the rest later, Okay?” he took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at JJ. She continued scratching at her fingernail, so much so that she drew blood. 

Spencer took one hand off the wheel, he wrapped it around both of hers, clenching down softly. “JJ,” he said quietly.  

“Don’t apologize, this isn’t your fault, you shouldn’t be taking it out on yourself.” he squeezed her hands gently, then turned back to the road, keeping his hand on top of hers. 

“Thought we agreed not to profile each other.” JJ smiled faintly. 

_ Shit.  _ Spencer thought, but decided to say nothing. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, JJ kept her gaze pointed down at her lap. Her eyes traced the outlines of her hands and his, following the lights and darks, the ridges and valleys, tracing down his wrist and up his arm. Her eyes wandered up past his shoulder and neck, they rested on his profile, tracing up and down. Chin, lips, Cupid’s bow, nose, brow, forehead, and back down again. 

“Thank you, Spence.” JJ murmured. 

“Of course, JJ.” Spencer smiled reassuringly, “anything for you.” he pulled the car over on the side of the road across from JJ’s house. He squeezed her hands one last time before unlocking and opening his door. JJ gout out on the other side and walked around the nose of the car to stand next to him. 

“Ready?” Spencer asked, glancing from JJ to the house then back again. 

JJ reached for his hand, curling her fingers around his. He squeezed hers lightly in response, in an attempt to wordlessly say,  _ I’m here for you. _

He had read online that the most important first step is to give support. He hoped he was doing a good enough job, Spencer was known for being awkward and having the “Reid Effect” on people. But with JJ, he didn’t feel uncomfortable and shy-- the way he felt around most humans and animals. 

They slowly trudged up the path to the front door. Neither of them wanted to have this encounter, but it was necessary. Spencer was willing to do it, for JJ. Spencer knocked lightly on the door.

He placed himself between the door and JJ, Spencer knew that he wasn’t the most intimidating person. He had a height advantage over Will, but even though Will was smaller in stature, he weighed about the same. Will was also a fully trained police officer, with far more muscle mass than Spencer. According to his assessment, Spencer had a very little chance of winning this fight, should it come to that. He had taken hand to hand with Morgan, but whenever he sparred with Emily or Hotch, they both ended up beating him with ease. 

Even after his training was complete, Spencer and Morgan still worked together, Spencer had asked to continue their training, since he “couldn’t hold off a fruit fly,” according to Garcia. She had meant it as a joke, of course, but even still, Spencer wanted to “up his game”. 

“Jennifer?” Spencer heard Will yell through the door, “that you?” the door flew open, standing in the frame was Will. His shirt was untucked and wrinkled; it looked like he had slept in his clothes from yesterday. In his right hand, he held an empty bottle of Johnny Walker. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Will shouted. 

“William, JJ and I are here to pick up some of her items. Also, she has something to say to you.” Spencer glared threateningly at Will, or as threateningly as a “pretty boy genius” could.

“Are you serious right now?” Will wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He let out a garbled scof.

“Yes, I am.” Spencer shifted his body a little, enough for JJ to stand next to him. 

“Will, listen,” her voice shook at first “I am leaving you, I refuse to take anymore of your shit. I’m done Will.” she squeezed Spencer’s hand tight enough for him to breathe out sharply in surprise. JJ continued, “I will be reporting you to the FBI tomorrow. Please step aside.” 

“You can’t fuckin’ do this Jennifer, you love me, I love you, you can’t fuckin’ do this.” Will growled. 

“Any love I had for you died the first time you hit me.” JJ set her jaw. 

“Jenny, love, you know that wasn’t me, I was just angry that’s all.” Will tried to reason.

“We both know that isn’t true.” JJ frowned. 

“Did he put you up to this?” Will asked, pointing wildly at Spencer. 

“Spencer is the one who helped me see who you really are, he is helping me, the way you never would. We are stronger together, the way you and I never were. Now get the hell out of my way.” JJ’s voice rose to a shout. Will stumbled out of her way, dropping the empty bottle of whiskey in surprise. It smashed into shards on the floor, the fragments scattering everywhere. JJ marched through the door, paying no heed to the noise and tugging Spencer behind her. She refused to even look at Will, who was leaning on a small table for support. 

“He’s lying to you, he wants you for himself, that’s the only reason he’s ‘helping’ you. That bastard is trying to take you away from me, don’ listen to ‘em Jennifer.” Will slurred. He sluggishly attempted to follow JJ up the stairs, but Spencer stepped in front, barring his path. He let go of JJ’s hand and slid into the stance Morgan had taught him. 

“Don’t even try to come any closer,” Spencer glared at Will. 

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want,” Will growled, “this is my house, and Jenny is mine.” 

“It would be best for you if you didn’t start this fight.” Spencer tried,  _ I really don’t want to do this.  _ He thought to himself. As much as he hated this man for what he did to JJ, he really didn’t like causing harm. After all, a part of why he joined the B.A.U. was to catch people who did things like what Will had done. Another voice chimed in,  _ you saw the fucking handprints on her neck.  _ Spencer curled his fists subconsciously. 

“Move outta my way,” Will pushed spencer with all his might, but the force was unbalanced. Spencer easily sidestepped, allowing Will to plow, face first, into the wall. His head made a loud  _ thump,  _ as it collided, he put his hands against the wall and pushed himself off of it, enraged. He launched himself at Spencer again, this time throwing his fist haphazardly in the general direction of Spencer’s face. 

Spencer grasped his clenched fingers in one hand and ripped Will’s arm around behind him. Will howled in pain, allowing his arm to be wrenched up behind his back, else it would get dislocated. Spencer pushed with all his might on Will’s opposite shoulder, sending him to his knees. Will grunted, his head snapped forward, his chin hitting his chest. 

“You almost done up there?”Spencer called. 

“Yup.” JJ jogged down the stairs. She had a backpack on and she was holding a small suitcase in her other hand. She reached the ground floor and stepped carefully, avoiding the glass, to where Spencer was standing over Will. “We are leaving. You can let him go, I don’t think he’ll get very far in this state.” 

“Agreed.” Spencer pushed Will hard, sending him flying forward, flat on his face. He groaned a little, but didn’t stand back up. 

“Let’s get out of here.” JJ clasped her hand in his, and marched back out the door. Spencer followed, relieved that the encounter had ended. He shut the door behind them, and walked with JJ to the car door. 

“JJ I--” Spencer started.

“Thank you so much Spence,” JJ smiled softly, “thank you.” She stood on her toes, dropping the bag she was holding, she brought her hand up to his cheek. She placed a featherlight kiss on his lips. Spencer shivered involuntarily. He shakily rested his hand on the small of her back, and added a tiny bit more pressure to their kiss. 

And just like that, it was over. Spencer drew his head back, not wanting to spoil the moment. “We should probably…” Spencer trailed off. 

“Yeah, we should.” JJ backed away and let go of his hand. She picked up the suitcase, on her way to her seat, she dropped it in the middle row. They both got into the car, shutting and locking the doors as they closed. 

Spencer started the engine and pulled away a little faster than what was usually expected in a neighborhood like this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will is drunk when spencer and jj arrive, he attempts to stop jj from getting her stuff, reid subdues him until jj comes down stairs. jj breaks up with him. spencer and jj kiss wohoo.  
> I need to sleep ive got crew in three hours.


	9. False Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> car chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again!! new chapter yay! sorry it's short, I recently have been pulling double shifts so writing has been difficult to find time for. I am also publishing another fic at the same time, so I have been trying to balance between them.  
> comments kudos and critiques are much appreciated.

Spencer pulled away from the house, easing the gas pedal closer to the footboard a little faster than he normally did. In response, the car jerkily shot forward, making the seat belts tighten automatically around him and JJ.  

“Sorry, didn’t mean to do that.” Spencer clenched the wheel tightly, he hadn’t noticed before, but there were some small cuts and bruises starting to form on his knuckles. A few of them lazily oozed blood.  _ I never actually punched him, what are those from?  _ Spencer wondered. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he started to feel small pricks in his palm, as though someone was stabbing him with a needle. Spencer cautiously lifted one hand from the wheel and looked closer at the heel of his palm. 

“Everything okay?” JJ asked, concerned. 

“Yeah fine, im just…” Spencer trailed off, distracted by the tiny shards of glass in his palm. “I think some of the glass from the smashed bottle landed on Will, and when I was subduing him it got stuck in my hands, see?” he showed her his palm, she took it in her own hand and brought it to her lap, examining the small shards of glass. 

“I have some wipes that should work,” JJ dropped his hand so that it fell onto her knees, and turned around to grab something from her bag. She fumbled around for a little while, searching for the sanitary wipes she usually brought on the plane with her. She found them tucked into a zipped pocket of her suitcase and pulled them out. As JJ was zipping the suitcase back together, she looked up, her eye catching on an all too familiar car following them. 

“Spence, Will is following us.” JJ stated calmly. 

“What?” Spencer took his hand back and wrapped it around the wheel, squeezing it so tightly his knuckles faded from pink and bluish-purple to white. The glass pieces stuck into his hands even more, but a this moment, he couldn’t care less. “How can you tell?” 

“Because my car is currently in pursuit of us.” JJ pointed to a spot in the rearview mirror. Spencer could barely make out the tiny silver dot haphazardly swerving between lanes on the road.

“Any ideas on what we should do?” Spencer asked, slamming his foot on the gas pedal.

“Should we go to the Bureau now? JJ thought aloud, “or call Hotch?” 

“Both, it’s a Sunday, no one will be in.” he hit the two buttons on the ceiling of the car, one for the lights and the other for the siren. 

“Alright, I’ll call Hotch.” JJ whipped out her cellphone and scrolled through her speed dial until she found him. JJ clicked his name, but her finger slid, she worried that she accidentally dialed the wrong person. 

The line rang twice before someone picked up, “Hotch! We need you to meet us at the office with the team. It’s important.”  

“Um… this isn’t Hotch.” JJ could instantly tell that the person on the end of the line was Emily. 

“I meant to dial him, sorry, my finger must have slipped,” JJ apologized, “I’ll call him next, can you come to the office?” 

“No, you didn’t miss, this  _ is  _ Hotch's phone. I’ll pass along the message. We’ll be there in fifteen,” JJ could practically hear the blush through her voice. 

“Thanks Em.” JJ almost ended the call when she heard Hotch’s voice in the background. 

“Emily baby, who is that on the phone?” Hotch called sweetly. JJ almost laughed, she couldn’t picture those words coming out of her bosses mouth, ever. What sounded like a muffled  _ shit  _ said in Emily’s voice ended the call. 

“They’ll be a the office in fifteen.” JJ repeated. 

“Good, that’s about when we are going to get there too.” Spencer stared ahead, checking his mirrors every few seconds in case Will was catching up to them. 

“I really didn’t want to drag you into this,” JJ said quietly, staring at her hands.

“You didn’t ‘drag’ me into it, I willingly jumped in as soon as you confirmed what I had been suspecting.” Reid sighed, “so please don’t try to turn this into another apology, because you don’t have anything to be sorry for.” 

“Thanks Spence.” she gripped the seat tightly as he swerved through traffic, attempting to lose Will in the mass of cars they had just left behind. “The team will know what to do when we get there.” 

This time, when Spencer checked his mirrors, he didn’t see Will behind him. “I think Will has gotten stuck for the moment,” Spencer swerved another car, blasting through the red light in front of him, “but I think he can guess where we are going, and he is definitely going to follow us there. 

“I think so too.” JJ agreed. They turned off the highway at the exit, Spencer slowed down on the turn, but only a little. Spencer felt a heavy weight on his chest from the force of the turn. The wheels on the port side of the car lifted slightly. He cautiously slowed down, not wanting to get into an accident on the roundabout. 

They entered the FBI gate a few moments later and pulled into the parking garage. They sped down to Spencer’s parking space, he hastily parked, not caring about whether or not he was perfectly between the lines. A few seconds later Hotch and Emily pulled in next to them on their right side. Morgan and Garcia followed, taking the spot on their left. 

Everyone exited their vehicles and speed walked to the elevator, “JJ, what is this about?” Hotch asked. 

“I’ll explain once we reach our floor.” she responded, and pressed the button on the panel. The elevator shot skywards, carrying the team back to their post. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> of course it wasn't going to end with them driving away in the clear... that would have been too perfect  
> also, SPOILER ALERT FOR CH. 12: what do you think Aaron and Emily were doing? *wiggles eyebrows*


	10. The Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily wields a mean spatula. Calm before the storm. Fluffy smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo sorry for not posting this earlier, I am currently in a place where internet is not really a thing, and I have been trying and failing to upload this. the new chapter will hopefully be up by tomorrow... if I can find internet again.   
> I was made aware that the word "bubbler" is not commonly found outside of where I am from, so for those of you who are wondering, a '"bubbler" is a water fountain or water cooler according to google.   
> This chapter... dear oh dear... all I have is... well... I got nothing. It is basically just smut because I feel bad about what I am gonna do to y'all in the next few chapters. Prepare yourselves.   
> Kudos comments and critiques keep me alive. Especially now, when I'm stuck in a giant cellular deadzone.   
> *author knocks self out on a low door frame while running away from the embarrassment that is this chapter.*  
> I forgot to mention, if it seems choppier, sloppier, and just generally worse than usual, it is because I couldn't get a second pair of eyes to look it over for me first.

“Em?” Hotch let himself into her apartment, gently pushing the door inward. It was far to quiet for a normal evening when Emily was cooking, where was the music? “I brought apple pie!” his fingers tightened microscopically around the handles of the paper bag. He reached for his sidearm, fingers brushing the place it would have been, had it been equipped. “Emily, where are you?” he called cautiously. 

As quietly as he could, Hotch rounded the corner into the kitchen. Standing at the stove was Emily, wearing a pair of black headphones, and swaying along with the music playing in them. A contented smile played across her lips as she flipped the tuna steaks high in the air and gracefully caught them with the pan. “Emily?” he asked softly, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. 

“WHO THE FU--” Emily shouted. She whirled around, spatula in hand. The calm look vanished from her face, replaced by controlled fury. 

“Emily!!” Hotch yelled, narrowly avoiding the spatula she had sliced through the air where his head had been a millisecond before. 

“Oh,” Emily shrugged easily out of her fighting posture, the same way one would have taken off a coat or sweater. “Aaron,” she placed the spatula on the counter, “it’s you.” 

“Hey Em,” he said uncertainty, “everything okay?” he tentatively reached for her hand.

“Everything is fine!” she clasped her hand in his, using it to pull him close enough for their bodies to just barely brush against one another. She inhaled deeply, the scent that was so surely his, the one and only Aaron Hotchner, damn she loved that smell. “I’m just a bit jumpy, you understand.” 

They shared a knowing glance, “I understand.” he confirmed. “Why the headphones?” 

She glanced up sheepishly, “the little  _ branleur  _ upstairs complained.” Emily brushed her fingertips lightly down his cheek, she sighed softly. 

“E-emily, t-the f-f-f-food,” Hotch stuttered, he loved and hated the fact that she could do that to him, reduce him to a spluttering mess, incapable of completing a thought, just when she touched him. 

“Taken care of.” Just like that, she was gone, spinning away in her own little whirlwind, turning off the burners, loading the plates, setting the silverware in front of the TV, and filling the cups with water from the fridge bubbler. 

Hotch had not moved, he brushed his hand over his cheek where Emily had touched, remembering the cold metal of the engagement ring sitting on her fourth finger. He smiled to himself,  _the engagement right I gave to her. She's my fiancee._ He still couldn't believe it, she was finally his, and he was hers, for better, for worse. 

“Aaron, come on, we don’t have all night to eat!” Emily grabbed his hand and dragged him behind her to the couch. The sudden movement broke him from his thoughts, he followed her to the couch and allowed himself to sink into the squishy pillows. 

“Wait…” he furrowed his eyebrows, “we don’t have all night together?” 

“We do have all night together, what I’m saying is,” she paused for dramatic effect, “we don’t have all night to eat dinner.” 

“Ah, I see what you are getting at,” he picked up his plate and fork, “I had better eat quickly then.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I was thinking of an NCIS marathon and snuggling,” Emily took a bite of her tuna steak. 

“Now I am confused…” Hotch frowned. He placed his plate on the table in front of them. 

Emily grinned, “and maybe some intimate physical activities too.” 

“That sounds like a plan I can get behind,” he said smoothly. 

“Aaron Hotchner, did you just make a  _ sexual  _ innuendo?” Emily crowed. 

“Maybe.” 

Both of them burst out laughing, they laughed and laughed until tears leaked out of the corners of their eyes, and Aaron reached for Emily, pulling her into his chest as they laughed together. The joke wasn’t very funny, certainly not funny enough to cause this reaction, but, Hotch thought, they weren’t laughing only because of the joke. More for a deeper reason he didn't quite feel ready to address. 

When their laughter finally died down, he dropped his voice to a whisper, the moment turning suddenly from lighthearted to serious in just one breath. He squeezed her gently, weighting her name with everything else he wanted to say, but couldn’t, for fear that he would stop, falter, or give up before he could say what he wanted, needed to say.  _ I love you, I adore you, you are my world, you saved me, my darling,  _ “Emily.” 

Emily wiggled around on his lap until her knees touched the couch on either side of his groin. She gently cupped his face in her hands, drawing a small, involuntary sigh from him. She seemed to understand, her eyes reflected internal realization of what he had wanted to say. 

“Aaron,” she breathed, slowly lowering her body on to his until her lips were mere millimeters from his. He couldn’t take the suspense anymore, Hotch gently brushed his lips against Emily’s, not at all anticipating her reaction. 

It seemed that was all she needed, Emily hungrily deepened their kiss, what was at first a featherlight brush, changed into a messy, needy embrace. She fisted one of her hands in his shirt, roughly pulling him closer. 

He responded in kind, frenziedly dragging her hips to align with his, gripping her waist tightly enough that there would surely be bruises there tomorrow morning. She growled throatily and ripped his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. 

Emily left his mouth and found her way to his pulse point. She nipped and sucked at the skin where his neck became his shoulders, evoking cries of pleasure from his parted lips. She broke away for a moment, just long enough to strip off her shirt and bra. 

He brought one hand to her cup her breast, gently drawing his thumb over the nipple. She keened lowly, and pressed her lips against his. She snaked one hand down to brush over the growing bulge in his jeans which were becoming more painful to wear by the minute. 

“Emily,” he whimpered, desperately trying to undo the button and zipper of his pants. She shoved his hand out of the way and undid it in one quick motion. She yanked them to his knees, where he hurriedly kicked them off. Her leggings disappeared quite soon after. 

“Can I?” he panted, looping his thumb into the string of her thong. He desperately hoped she would say yes. They were engaged, but it was still better to ask, just to be safe. 

“Aaron, of course!” Emily rolled her eyes, taking them off herself. She was already dripping wet from just their making out, Emily was ready for him. She raised herself up, and placed her hips over his then sank down on top of him, taking his entire dick into her. She began rocking her hips at the tempo she knew drove him crazy, he matched her as best he could, frantically following her lead.

“Emily,” he moaned, involuntarily squeezing her waist with his hands. He found her clitoris with his fingers, gently massaging it until her moans matched the neediness of his. They shouted each others names as they reached the top, pleasure setting every nerve ending in their bodies on fire. For one moment, they had been one, there was no Emily, no Aaron, only the feeling of pure ecstasy that united them both. 

He gathered her into his arms, she wrapped her legs around his, tangling them together in an attempt to be even closer than they already were. “Love you…” Aaron whispered as they drifted to sleep. 

                                                                                              ****

“Stop it, shut up.” Emily growled at the phone on the table. She untangled one of her arms and reached for the phone, “Hello?” she asked groggily. 

“Um… This isn’t Hotch.” Emily said into the microphone. 

“I meant to dial him, sorry, my finger must have slipped,” JJ apologized on the other end, “I’ll call him next, can you come to the office?” 

Emily paused and checked the phone she was holding, it was definitely Aaron’s. “No, you didn’t miss, this  _ is  _ Hotch's phone. I’ll pass along the message. We’ll be there in fifteen,”  Emily could feel the blush heating her cheeks. 

“Thanks Em.” JJ responded. 

“Emily baby, who is that on the phone?” Hotch mumbled. 

“Shit!” she exclaimed, and ended the call. “That was JJ, we need to get to the office ASAP.” 

“Got it, I’ll be ready in five.” he responded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear...


	11. Chain Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rally the troops!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters are heavy with references to abuse and adult themes. I will have a summary at the end of each one.   
> I am so sorry, this chapter and the next few were really difficult for me to write. It's going to get worse before it gets better.   
> comments, kudos, and criticisms are what keep me motivated.

“JJ, what is this about, what is the emergency?” Garcia asked, frowning worriedly. 

“Yeah, mind telling us what’s going on?” Rossi interjected. 

“Sorry everyone for the short notice and the nature of this call, but it couldn’t wait.” JJ stated calmly. As composed as she looked, JJ continuously paced back and forth in front of the screen in the briefing room. 

“We need your help.” Spencer added. 

“We?” Morgan repeated. “Just tell us what’s going on.” 

“Should I?” Spencer tapped her on the shoulder as she paced in front of him. 

She stopped in front of him, gently placing her hand over his, “It’s okay Spence, I can do this.” JJ breathed in deeply and steadied herself. “For the past few months, William has been abusing me.” 

The whole room breathed in sharply, a reaction they had all learned from so many years of hiding their shock.

“JJ,” Emily spoke softly, “why didn’t you say something sooner?” 

“Because I was afraid to.” JJ sighed, “last night, Spencer confronted me, he brought me to his apartment after I told him what had happened and let me stay with him so I wouldn’t have to go back to Will. This morning, I confronted him and got violent again. Spencer was there with me and helped subdue him. After we left, Will tried to follow us, and we came here.” 

Hotch stood suddenly from the table, “I’ll go file an incident report right now, Rossi, to contact Will’s station and alert them of what is going on, Emily, take JJ’s statement, Reid, go with them. Garcia, red flag all of his credentials, cards, bank accounts, coordinate with local police, we don’t need an invitation for this one. Finally, Morgan, go talk to S.W.A.T. and get a unit to protect JJ for now until we can get the marshals.” Emily, JJ, and Reid left for the interview room, and Garcia and Morgan sped off to her office. The way they behaved was almost mechanical, they had done this so many times for so many cases that Hotch was fairly certain they no longer needed him to give instructions. 

“Did you know?” Hotch asked the older agent as they walked to their offices. 

“I had an…” he paused, “inkling, but I wasn’t certain, I was going to ask her myself, but Reid got there first.” 

“I should have known.” Hotch growled, clenching his fists, “she’s a member of my team, I have to know.” 

“Don’t blame yourself, you had other things on your mind.” Rossi patted him on the shoulder, “no one here blames you, least of all JJ. It isn’t your fault, nor is it your responsibility to constantly watch over us. We know now, what matters is stopping Will and making sure JJ is okay after. What you did or didn’t notice isn’t important.” 

“Dave, it’s my job to be sure my team is safe, whether we are or aren’t in the field.” He breathed in deeply, “but you’re right, this conversation can wait for later.” 

“That’s not what I said, Aaron.” Rossi called over his shoulder, entering his office. 

Hotch shut the door to his office and sat down in his chair. He opened up his computer, and opened a new email to Strauss. 

To: Erin Strauss 

Subject: JJ 

Message: Section Chief Strauss, Erin, 

JJ has just notified the team that her husband has been abusing her. I am sending in a report, we are handling the situation. Wanted to give you a heads up. 

Aaron Hotchner

Sent. next he filled out the report and submitted it. By the time he had finished it was well past 5:00 pm. “Shit.” he muttered and pulled out his phone. He dialed Jack’s aunt’s number, “Jessica?” 

“Aaron, hello.” she responded after barely one ring. 

“Hey, I’m so sorry for the short notice, but would you be able to watch Jack for another few days? Something’s--” 

“Something’s come up at work, I know. Don’t worry, I can look after him.” 

“Thank you Jessica.” Hotch sighed. 

“No problem.” the line clicked, the call ended. 

He shut his eyes for a moment, just taking a few seconds to himself so he could recuperate and prepare for the next briefing. He opened his eyes when he heard his computer chime, the notification for a new email popped up in the bottom right of his screen. 

From: Erin Strauss 

Subject: JJ 

Message: Get that bastard. 

Erin Strauss

Aaron dialed Rossi first, “Dave, what did the station say?” 

The other agent answered, “you realize that I am less than ten feet away from you, right?” 

“I didn’t know where you were going to be.” he defended. 

“Aaron, this is my landline, my office phone.” Hotch could practically hear the smirk through the phone. 

“What do you have?” Aaron ignored Rossi’s comment. 

“Well, the police chief is on board to help, but he’s a tad reluctant,” Rossi paused. 

“Why?” 

“You know, the whole brotherhood slash protect your own thing, but I got him to agree to help us.” 

“What else is there?” He could sense that there was a ‘but’ coming. 

“But some of the officers have… defected. For whatever reason, they’re siding with Will. Seven in total. I’m sending you their info now. ” Rossi uttered something that sounded a lot like ‘bastards.’ 

“Thanks for letting me know.” Hotch answered. Another small chime emanated from his computer. 

“I can literally hear you talking through the wall.” Rossi chuckled. 

Hotch ended the call and dialed Garcia, “Any news?” 

“If he even tries to buy a soda, I’ll know.” She responded. 

“I need you to flag seven other officers.” He opened the email Rossi had sent him. 

“Seven, why?” Garcia wondered. 

“Seven officers have defected and are siding with Will. I would also keep tabs on the rest of the station, just to be safe.” Hotch answered. 

“They sided with Will?” Garcia murmured disbelievingly. 

“Yes, and we need to be sure no one else has.” Hotch confirmed. 

“Oh trust me,” Garcia snarled, “they’re gonna regret ever siding with that monster. I’ll make sure of it.” 

“Thank you, Garcia, can you put Morgan on the phone, please?” 

“Yessir.” he waited a moment. 

“Morgan?” he asked.

“Yeah, Hotch I’m here.” Morgan answered. “Is it true seven other officers defected?” 

“It’s true. What did S.W.A.T. say?” 

“They dispatched a unit to Reid’s apartment and one is on standby to escort her back.” 

“I didn’t think they would have even given us one unit, they say why?” Hotch asked. 

“Well I actually asked the same thing, and the response I got from S.W.A.T. was, ‘nobody messes with JJ and lives.’ Guess they really like her.” Morgan chuckled, “she does tend to have that effect on people.” 

“Very true.” Hotch smiled. “Help Garcia with the seven officers, and see if you can build some mini profiles on the other officers in the station, see if any more would be candidates to join up with Will. 

“You got it, Hotch.” 

“Thanks.” he ended the call. He opened the email Rossi had sent him, detailing the seven officers who had defected. 

First on the list was Christian Given, member of the force for 10 years, 35 years old, unmarried. Has been charged with unnecessary use of force on multiple occasions. 

Andrew Cunningham, member of the force for 17 years, 38 years old, divorced. Charged with reckless behaviour in the field suspected to have abused his wife while they were married.  

Damien White, member of the force for seven years, 26 years old, unmarried. Suspected of abusing his ex-girlfriend. 

Aidan White, member of the force for 6 years, 24 years old, unmarried.

Stephen Dane, member of the force for 2 years, 20 years old, sealed juvenile record, unmarried. 

Jack Flint, member of the force for six months, 18 years old, sealed juvenile record, unmarried. 

Chip Anders, Member of the force for 8 years, 26 years old, excessive use of force. Unmarried. 

_ All of them are white, make with some kind of violent or criminal past, how are they still on the force?  _ He wondered. 

Finally, he dialed Emily. “Em, how is JJ?” 

“She’s okay, stable enough for now, but Hotch, you have to come read her statement.” Emily replied. 

“I will. Where are you right now?” 

“Conference room. I hope it’s okay I sent JJ and Reid home?” 

“That’s fine.” he smiled inwardly, that was exactly what he was going to ask her to do. 

“How are you holding up?” 

“Why are you asking about me?” he asked, confused. 

“Rossi told me about your conversation.” 

_ “Damnit.”  _ He whispered. 

“I heard that.” she said into the phone. “Seriously, when we have some time, I think we should talk.” 

“Fine, I’m coming to the conference room now.” He shut his eyes, “love you, Em.” 

“Love you too, Aaron.” The call ended. 

He stood up from his desk and exited his office, straightening his suit jacket and tie. 

“Aaron,” Rossi called from his office, poking his head out from behind the door. “JJ and Reid went home together.” 

“Yes?” Hotch nodded. 

“Do you think that they’re…?” Rossi trailed off. 

“I believe, but I’m going to confirm with Emily now.” He answered. 

“You saw the way she reacted to him when he put his hand on her shoulder.” Rossi pointed out. 

“Yes, she placed her hand on top of his, I saw Rossi.” He responded. 

“I think it’s a good thing.” He said, hinting at something. 

“No, I’m not going to tell Strauss.” Hotch confirmed. 

“That’s m’boy.” Rossi grinned and shut the door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hotch rallies the troops, the team is coming together to fight for JJ.   
> Some other officers have joined Will's side.   
> Hotch blames himself


	12. Remembering Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ gives her statement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so there's a lot here. First and foremost, the next chapter is heavy with warnings. Graphic descriptions of violence, mentions of rape/non con. I didn't want to put it into the archive warnings since its only alluded to, but I felt it was necessary to say so in the notes. if you think I should fix the archive warnings, please comment and I'll fix it. I will post a summary at the bottom.  
> Secondly, new chapter on a Tuesday, randomly it seems, but there is actually a reason. I will most likely not have access to tech until next Monday, so, see you then! also, as I am writing the new chapter, I was thinking of bringing in some characters from ncis as a sort of "calling the cavalry" type thing. let me know what you think, I've already had some positive responses to the idea, thank you for your feedback!! I will only have them in for a few chapters, I'm not going to change it to a full crossover, and yes I will fix the plot hole that came from Emily and Aaron watching NCIS on TV, I have an idea how.  
> Kudos comments and critiques make me smile.  
> love y'all!!  
> title of the chapter is a reference to an ATL song.

Hotch entered the conference room, he saw Emily sitting at the edge of the table, clutching a notebook. “Is that JJ’s statement?” 

“Yeah Aaron, it is.” she placed it gently on the table. “You have to read it before this goes further.”

He sat down in the chair next to her. “Okay.” She slid the notebook to him. He opened to the first page. 

Witness statement of Jennifer Jareau, 16th of January, 2011.

My boyfriend, Will has been abusing me since November of 2010. It started late in the month, I had gotten home from a case and he just hit me. I was so surprised that I ran to my bedroom and locked the door. He didn’t try to come find me. I left on a case the next day. When I came back, I was planning on asking him what he was thinking by doing that, but he hit me again, knocked me to the ground and kicked me until I passed out. The next morning I woke up and he was standing over me. He said that if I told anyone he would kill the ‘nerdy freak’ first and the ‘cunt dike’ I was friends with on the team. So I didn’t say anything. Every night I was home he would beat me up, usually until I passed out, and I let him do it because I didn’t want him to hurt my friends. I didn’t doubt that he would have either. By midway through December, he started to try to choke me. I spend a lot of time sleeping on the floor in the living room. One time, I woke up before the morning and he was taking photos of the bruises and cuts and marks on my body. I pretended to still be asleep because I didn’t want to receive another round. The team was my solace, they kept me sane. He asked me a few times to have sex, and I consented verbally, but I did not want it. I was afraid that if I refused him he would hurt my friends. Agent Spencer Reid confronted me last night, he saw the bruises on my neck, and suspected I was being abused by Will. I confirmed his theory and went to stay at his apartment. We confronted Will together today. He became violent after we stated our intentions. He was intoxicated, when we left he followed us for part of the way to the Bureau. 

Signed: Jennifer Jareau

Hotch dropped the notebook to the table, attempting to fully comprehend what he had just read. Clear, rational thought exited his head for a moment. He clenched his fists, planning different and painful ways to kill Will. 

Emily’s voice broke through his anger clouded mind. “Aaron.” She spoke softly, gently reaching for his hand and taking it in hers. “Aaron, we didn’t know.” 

“I know but I, I could have--should have--” his voice broke, “I should have known.” he croaked. 

“Hotch, you couldn’t have, she was hiding it because she felt like she had to. He threatened to kill me and Reid.” Emily let go of his hands and locked the door to the conference room. Hotch stood up, staring blankly at the wall. “Aaron,” she murmured. 

He reached for her, hugging her tightly to his chest, bundling her up in his arms and burying his face in her hair. “Emily, promise me right now that if I ever do anything that hurts you in any way you’ll tell me and I swear to you, I’ll fix it. I love you so much, and I could never bare to see you hurt, especially by my hand.” 

She tilted her head up, gently touching his face with her fingertips, “Aaron, I know you would never hurt me, either intentionally or unintentionally, I love you so much, and I know you feel the same, which is why I know you would never hurt me, but if it makes you feel better, I will promise on the condition that you promise me the same. If I ever hurt you, tell me please, I will fix it.” 

“I promise, Emily.” He kissed her gently on the lips. They let it last for as long as they could, savoring this small moment of comfort during a tumultuous time. But, as they both knew, a moment was only a moment, and regrettably, Aaron had to slip back into SSAIC Hotchner and Emily needed to pull her mask of Agent Prentiss back on, but that didn’t have to happen for at least another two minutes. 

***

Emily and Aaron exited the conference room, ready to go back into battle. By now it was well past twelve, Hotch knew they had to finish up tonight, get some rest and come back to it tomorrow. While he knew his team could easily work through the night, the others who they needed to communicate with would not be. 

“I’m sending the team home.” he stated as they walked towards the bull pen. 

“What? Why?” Emily asked, “we have to help JJ.” 

“We will, but we aren’t going to get anything done tonight.” He responded.

“That makes sense.” She nodded. 

“Emily, would you mind staying over at my place tonight?” Hotch requested. 

“Aaron of course, you don’t have to ask.” she smiled. “Any particular reason why tonight?” 

“I read JJ’s statement, and I have almost no doubt in my mind that one of the people Will was referring to was you.” 

“Yeah, it’s pretty much common knowledge that I’m bi.” Emily all but shouted. 

“I realize, but I just want to be with you, in case he tries to…” Hotch shuddered inwardly. 

“I understand,” Emily smiled, “I can protect you from him.” 

“That wasn’t what I--” realization dawned on Hotch, “oh, well we’ll protect each other, how’s that?” 

“Sounds good.” 

Hotch picked up a cup of coffee from the counter as he passed, taking a sip as he entered the bullpen. Emily sat down with Morgan and Garcia, the three of them started talking in hushed tones, Emily was probably relaying the newest updates to the team, Hotch thought. He jogged up the stairs to where Rossi was waiting for him, gesturing frantically for Hotch to come into his office. 

“Aaron, you need to hear this, now.” He whispered gravely. 

“Dave, what’s going on?” Hotch asked, shutting the door behind him.

“An unidentified male, six foot one, approximately a hundred and seventy pounds was just brought into Sentara Med. Hotch, they just sent over a photo, they think he’s one of ours.” Rossi pulled up an image on his computer. 

“Dave… that-- that’s Reid… ” the cup of coffee slipped from his grasp. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JJ makes her statement, references to Will beating her up/having non con sex with her. mentions him taking a photo of her injuries on multiple occasions.  
> Aaron reads the statement and has a mini breakdown, asks Emily to promise him to tell him if he ever does something wrong or something that hurts her. she makes him promise the same, small cute moment between them.  
> Emily and Spencer are in danger, Will threatened to kill them if JJ talked.  
> About to go home when they get notified that Reid is in the ER. 
> 
> until Monday!


	13. Live and Let Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helllllllloooooo! it's Sunday and I have internet!!! firstly, thank you to everyone who left kudos, the tally has officially reached 30, THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING THIS WORK!! Really, thank you!!   
> next up, I'm gonna be bringing the NCIS team in, only for a few chapters, I'm currently writing chapter 17, and I think it is a good addition to the story. thank you to Angelwitch6090 for giving their opinion on whether or not I should bring them in. I was hoping to have some more responses, but as of now, I already have two chapters written with them in it, and there are more in the works!   
> Now, this chapter was both painful and good for me to write. I love Reid, I hate seeing him hurt, but there is a special guest who makes a reappearance later in the chapter. I had a lot of fun writing him, I personally believe that he made this chapter 10000 times better than it had be originally. More notes on this at the end.   
> This chapter has some violence, as well as a large plot reveal, I will put a summary at the end for those who wish to skip. after you see the three *** and scroll to "the wave of black was threatening to..."   
> kudos, comments, and criticisms are much appreciated.

__

JJ and Reid followed the agents down to the garage. Waiting for them was a black SUV, four more agents sat inside already. “Where to?” asked the driver. 

“Agent Reid’s apartment,” answered one of the agents escorting them.

JJ and Reid sat together in the middle row, surrounded by S.W.A.T. agents. The car rumbled out of the parking garage, turning left onto the street. Reid gently brushed the back of his hand against JJ’s. She returned the light pressure, just barely allowing her hand to touch his. To anyone looking, it would appear that their hands had skimmed each other by accident. 

The drive was much faster than usual, owing in part to the lack of other cars and the ignorance of stoplights. They arrived at his apartment, exiting the car with the agents and hurrying up the stairs. Reid unlocked his door, allowing the agents to clear it before he and JJ entered. 

“Your apartment is secure, we will be around the outside and scattered through the halls. If you have an emergency, tell the guard outside the door, he’ll radio in, otherwise dial S.W.A.T. HQ, they’ll patch you through to me.” The S.W.A.T. team leader, his name was Steve McCann, Spencer remembered. 

“Thank you,” JJ smiled,  “Steve.” 

“Of course JJ, we won’t forget what you did for us. It’s the least we can do.” he nodded then exited the apartment. 

“What did you do to get on their good side?” Reid asked, dumbfounded. 

“The press was hammering them about an incident a few years ago, I used my contacts to smooth it out.” JJ explained. 

“Had to have been some incident.” Reid responded. 

“It was, but it’s in the past, no harm done.” 

“I can take the couch, you can have the bed,” he changed the subject. 

“Would you mind staying with me?” JJ asked quietly. 

“I wouldn’t mind at all, I just want you to feel comfortable.” 

“Thanks,” JJ called over her shoulder as she headed for the outer bathroom, PJ’s and toothbrush in hand. 

Spencer entered his bedroom and changed quickly into a t-shirt and sweatpants. He quickly brushed and flossed in his bathroom, by the time he was done, JJ had already claimed the left side of the bed. 

“Hello again,” she smiled at him. 

“Hey there,” he pulled the covers back and got into bed next to her. “JJ, I wanted to tell you that I didn’t read your statement. I wanted to let you tell me when you were ready to.” 

“Oh, um, thanks.” she fiddled with the sheet. 

“You don’t have to tell me now, or at all really, I just want you to know that I’m here to listen, when you’re ready to talk about it.” He shifted onto his side and propped his head up on his elbow. 

“You’re the best, Spence.” JJ softly placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“I’m here for you JJ. Always,”  he pulled her into his chest, protectively wrapping his arms around her, “is this okay?” 

“Yeah,” she curled herself deeper into his arms, “it’s perfect.” 

“Love you, Jennifer.” Spencer whispered. 

“Love you too, Spence,” JJ sighed sleepily. 

***

Spencer blinked open his eyes, finding the clock on the nightstand.  _ Twelve?  _ He thought,  _ wonder why I woke up…  _ JJ was still asleep, she had rolled over onto her side, facing the wall. He held her to him, her back flush with his chest. 

He lay there for a moment, listening to her even breaths.  _ She’s so peaceful,  _ he smiled unconsciously, gently brushing some stray blonde hairs from her face and tucking them behind her ear.  _ What are you doing?  _ He wondered,  _ I have to go help the team, I can’t rest until she’s safe.  _

Trying as best he could not to disturb her, Spencer gingerly untangled himself from her. He pulled a collared shirt and pants from the closet, slipping them on as quietly as he could. 

_ I’m coming back, JJ,  _ he promised silently, then exited the bedroom. His shoes were by the door, he pulled them on and left the apartment. 

“Agent McCann, I’m headed back to the office, I need to help the team. If JJ asks where I am, could you tell her that?” He asked the agent. 

“No problem, Agent Reid,” he responded, “we can send an agent to escort you to the office.” 

“Thank you, but that’s unnecessary, they’re after JJ, not me.”

“You got it, safe drive.”

Spencer jogged down the stairs, reaching his car faster than usual. He needed to get to the office, he needed to help the team. He drove away, focusing on the road ahead. There was no one else on the streets but him, he thought. He turned onto the highway, expecting to see the expanse of road ahead of him. 

Time: 0.1s He felt the other car slam into his rear bumper. 

Time: 0.7s the metal collapsed inward, shoving the car forward.

Time: 0.9s His head slammed against the steering wheel airbag, blasting the car horn. 

Time: 1.5s He yanked the wheel to the side, pulling the car from the road and sending it spinning into the guardrail. 

Time: 3s The car jumped the rail, rolling over as it tumbled down the hill.  

Time: 15s Spencer groaned, the car rolled to a stop at the foot of the hill, leaving him hanging upside down, connected by his seatbelt. 

_ Need contact Hotch,  _ his brain whirred, planning and surveying, taking stock of his injuries.  _ Broken arm, definitely some ribs cracked, broken… collarbone?  _ He groaned, painfully trying to unbuckle his seatbelt with his unbroken left arm.  _ Concussed.  _

He managed to unclip his seatbelt, dropping him to the roof of the car. Spencer cried out as he hit the ceiling, his collarbone and arm screaming at him. “Fuckkkkk,” he hissed. He turned his head to look out the window, hearing footsteps approaching. 

“He-hello?” he called weakly, “can you help me?” 

“This the nerdy freak?” asked a voice gruffly. 

“Yeah, that’s him.” the second responded in a southern drawl. 

_ Shit! That’s Will!  _ Spencer thought frantically. 

Will continued, “pull him out of the car, we can finish the job.” 

“You got it.” a different voice responded. 

The door squealed as they pried it open, Spencer pretended to be unconscious, hoping they hadn’t heard him call for help before. Two  pairs of hands latched onto his shoulders, digging painfully into his armpit and squeezing his collarbone. It took every ounce of self control he had to keep himself from howling in pain. 

“You sure he isn’t dead?” 

“Even if he is, let’s be sure.” Will answered. 

“Sure thing,” the first voice responded. Spencer braced himself, but nothing could have prepared him for the blinding wave of pain that hit him. They kicked, over and over, until Spencer stopped counting and chose to focus on something.  _ JJ, I promised… ahh… JJ I would make it back. Need to… ergh… return… argh… to… Jennifer.  _

“Think that’ll do it?” asked one of the voices. 

“Yeah,” Will responded. 

“Don’t forget to take a photo, for the scoreboard. We can tally your points when we get back.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Spencer heard the click of a camera, “this’ll put me ahead of you, why’d ya remind me? coulda saved yourself a lotta points.” 

“Fair is fair, I’ll win.” 

“Let’s get outta here.” Will said, “wait, I almost forgot.” Spencer listened to him dial a few numbers into his cell. “Hello 911, I’m calling to report an accident, yeah it happened just off the highway,” he mumbled the highway number into the phone, “I think someone’s been killed.” he ended the call. “Now we can leave. Just wait until that cunt sees what I’ve done to her plaything.” Spencer listened to them sprint back up the hill and through the grass. 

The wave of black was threatening to put him out, he did everything he could to fight it.  _ JJ, I have to think of her, I need to think of JJ. She’s tall, beautiful, smart, charismatic, kind, strong, brave, she wouldn’t give up, nor will I. I promised her I would make it back.  _ He could barely make out the sirens in the distance,  _ must think of JJ.  _

The ambulance arrived, the tires screeching on the pavement, sure to leave marks there. He sighed,  _ they’re here.  _

“I haven't seen something this bad in a while. Is this guy even breathing?” 

“Check his pulse.” 

“ungh--” Spencer groaned, unable to form a word. 

“Holy shit, this guy’s still alive!” 

“Get him on the gurney! Now you idiot, not tomorrow!” 

He felt gloved hands roll him on to his side. They gently placed him on a plastic gurney, strapping him to it. “Get me some blood, now. His license says he can accept universal.” 

“Got it.” 

“Get him into the rig.” 

He felt himself get lifted into the air, his arm slipped from the bed, hanging limply off the side. “JJ…” he sighed. 

“What was that you said?” 

“I… promised… JJ…” He choked, struggling to take a breath in. 

“One of his lungs is punctured, we have to get him in fast or else he’s going under.” 

Spencer took one shaky breath, and let himself slip into the dark. 

“Hello?” he called, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the blinding emerald light surrounding him. 

“Well, didn’t think I was going to be seeing you for a long time.” answered a voice Spencer couldn’t quite place. He took a few tentative steps. Surprised by his lack of injury, he headed towards the voice that had spoken, unhindered by any injury caused by the crash or Will.. 

“Who are you?” he asked.   
“You know who I am, you saved me.” the voice replied. 

“T-tobias?” 

“Right in one.” the figure of Tobias Henkel emerged from the mist in front of him, “it’s good to see you, Doctor Reid.” 

“How are you here?” Spencer wondered, “where are we? Am I dead?” 

“Well, I think you know the answers to your first questions, but to the third, no, you aren’t dead, not yet. You’re in a sort of limbo, or stasis, you're not quite dead, but you're not alive either.” Tobias explained. 

“I can’t die, not right now, I need to go back, I promised JJ that I’d--” he paused, “I promised JJ that I would come back.” 

“It’s your choice, whether you live or die.” he rubbed his chest where there had been a bullet hole the last time Reid saw him, “I chose to leave, there wasn’t anything left for me there, if I had stayed, I’d have spent the rest of my life locked in a white room, I didn’t want that.” 

“You saved my life in that shed, I never really got to thank you.” Spencer reached out his hand, Tobias took it, shaking it lightly then letting go. 

“No thanks necessary, I did what I had to, it was my father who was trying to hurt you.” he smiled weakly, “you saved me, Spencer, I should be thanking you.” 

Spencer shook his head in disagreement, but chose not to push the subject. “I really need to go back, I need to help JJ, she’s in trouble, someone’s trying to hurt her, I have to save her.” Spencer paced back and forth in front of Tobias, looking for some way to return. 

“Calm down, time doesn’t exist in this place, we can have a little conversation before you decide.” He placed his hand on Spencer’s shoulder, stopping him mid stride. 

“Okay, I guess,” Spencer conceded, “what do you want to talk about?” 

“You love her, don’t you?” Tobias sat down in one of the two armchairs Spencer was sure hadn’t been there before. He motioned for him to sit in the other. Spencer took the invitation and seated himself comfortably in the armchair, crossing his right leg over his left.  

“Yeah, I think I do.” 

“I’m glad you found her finally, I mean, it was obvious when I knew you that y’all liked each other but I don’t think either of you knew it.” he steepled his fingers, “she does love you back?” 

“Y-yes, I mean I think so, she said it first,” he stumbled, uncertainty flooding his voice, “I just don’t really know why she would…” 

“Of course you do, she loves you because of who you are Spencer, as cliche as it sounds.” 

“What am I?” he spat, “a walking encyclopedia, useful for statistics, reading fast, playing chess? I am nothing more than Google with legs.” 

“We both know that isn’t true.” Tobias countered, “JJ loves you because you’re quirky, sweet, caring, Spencer you really truly care about people, they aren’t just some statistic to you, you have such a big heart, and don’t forget the fact that you’re a handsome young man. The question isn’t why would she be, but rather, why shouldn’t she like you?’

“But that’s not--” he mumbled, “but I’m--” 

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but you aren’t going to have what your mother has, and nor will your children.” 

“I--” his chin dropped, awestruck. 

“Close your mouth, you’re gonna swallow a fly.” Tobias chuckled. 

“I won’t?” he stammered, “I’m safe?” 

“Yeah Spencer, you are.” Tobias turned his head to the left, “ah, it appears you have a choice to make.” 

Spencer followed his gaze, he could barely make out two identical doors in the middle of the green haze. “Which is which?” 

“That’s your choice.” Tobias stood from his chair, offering his hand to Spencer. 

He gladly took it, allowing Tobias to pull him up from the chair. “Thank you, Tobias.” 

“Of course,” he smiled, “now I don’t want to see you for at least another hundred years, got it?” 

“Yeah, I got it,” against his usual instinct, Spencer pulled Tobias into a quick hug, “Thanks, really.” 

“If I were you, I would tell her how you feel, how you really feel, when you see her.” He pulled away after a minute lightly patting Spencer’s shoulder, “maybe if things had been different in the real world,” he squeezed his hand gently, “I would have stayed.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Will runs Reid off the road, he pulls him from the wreckage and beats him up some more before leaving.   
> TWO REVEALS!!!   
> Tobias is back!! I couldn't think of anyone for Reid to have a little out of body chat with, and voila! Tobias! he was perfect! I was kind of partial to the idea of Spencer and Tobias being a thing in an AU, so I guess part of this chapter is a small tribute to that, especially the last line of the chapter.   
> *INTERMISSION* MY CAT JUST SNEEZED AND I CANT EVEN IT WAS SO ADORABLE! SHE SNEEZED THREE TIMES IN A ROW AND THEN JUST STARTED GLARING AT ME LIKE WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT YOU STUPID HUMAN?!?  
> Did anyone catch my Harry Potter reference? it's kinda stupid, but I couldn't help it.   
> so the second reveal is much much darker than the first. I won't be saying too much about it here. To put it simply, WILL IS A DEMON. But not in the black smoke, working for Satan type of demon. More just, he's a terrible horrible human being, I"M SORRY EVERYONE, I SWEAR IT WILL GET BETTER FOR THE TEAM.   
> Paul McCartney song reference as a tile.


	14. Whatever it Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guest starring, NCIS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo! a day early, yay! I'm not gonna be able to post tomorrow, so here it is, a day early! So my writing here, if it's worse than usual I'm sorry, I wanted to get this out for you, I will go through and edit tho later. here comes the NCIS team!! if you're an NCIS fan, I wrote a series of poems from Tony's perspective, you should check those out :D sorry I'll stop promoting myself now. So here come the cavalry!! For anyone who is curious, this is the NCIS team from around season 8, I don't want to put exact dates on it. And in criminal minds time, we are at about season 7?? idk at this point it's pretty much a full AU. spoilers, Doyle is gonna be a thing, but I'm gonna change his story since this is petty much all AU now.   
> I'll stop now, see you next week!!   
> I adore comments, kudos and criticisms!!

Spencer inhaled sharply, awareness flooding his senses, sending his brain into overdrive. He clawed at his throat gasping for air. Every breath he took stabbed his chest, but he forced himself to keep breathing. 

“We got him back!” 

“Quick, pump him up and prep him for the OR.” 

“You have the anesthetic?” 

“Yeah right here.” 

“Jeez, where am I supposed to put this? There isn’t a spot of his skin that isn’t covered in blood.” 

“Here use this, scrub him down, we can find a spot.” 

His cuts screamed at him, sending pain signals darting through his body to his brain, searing paths along his nerve endings. It went on for minutes, he stopped counting after the third time he reached sixty. 

“There, on his left arm, the one that isn’t broken.” 

“Here, tie this around his bicep.” 

“Done.” 

“Inserting the needle.” 

“He’s ready for the OR, let’s sedate and anesthetize him.” 

He felt a small prick in his skin, nothing compared to the rest of what his body was feeling. After a few seconds, his pain vanished, he felt his eyelids growing heavy, he sighed, allowing his mind to drift into unconsciousness. 

***

Hotch sat in the passenger seat of the black SUV, sitting next to him was Morgan, who had his foot pressed to the metal backboard. He expertly weaved through the small amounts of traffic, running every red light, stop sign, and yield, focused only on reaching the hospital. 

Emily, Rossi, and Garcia sat in the back, holding on to the sides of the car for support. They reached the hospital in what was probably record time. None of them cared that they had left the vehicle in front, it was registered to the FBI, so if the hospital wanted, they could ticket Uncle Sam. 

The five of them rushed into the ER, Hotch flashed his badge at security, who waved them through. “Where is Doctor Spencer Reid?” Hotch thundered. 

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any doctors by that name here.” the desk lady responded calmly. 

“He doesn’t work here, he’s an FBI agent and patient here.” Morgan bellowed. 

“Derek, calm down,” Garcia placed her hand on his arm in an attempt to soothe him.

“No, I’m not going to calm down, Reid could be dead for all we know, we have to find him.” he growled. 

The desk woman cleared her throat, “we don’t have anyone registered as a Doctor Spencer Reid, but we do have an unidentified male FBI agent.” 

“Take us to him, now.” Hotch demanded. 

“I can’t, he’s in the OR.” she responded, “but the waiting room is over there. I’ll send the doctor out to you when he is out of surgery.” 

“Thank you.” Hotch whirled on his heel, bidding the team to follow him to the waiting room. They entered and shut the door, Hotch motioned for the rest of the team to sit. 

“We know they got to Reid, which means either Emily or JJ is next. Morgan, I want you to coordinate with S.W.A.T. get JJ here, let me know when she arrives, then work with Emily. Dave, you and Garcia go talk to the nurse, find a room to set up a command station in, I don’t care what you have to do, just get it done. Emily, start on the profiles and help Dave and Garcia with the command center. Call Strauss, we are going to need reinforcements.” As soon as their orders were given, the team members split off, leaving him alone in the room. 

He took out his phone and scrolled down in his contacts to the very last one. Gritting his teeth, he pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear, it rang a few times before the other person answered, “Aaron?” 

“Jethro, I need a favor.” 

“A favor? he asked, 

“We are currently on a case of a more… personal nature,” Hotch explained, “one of our own has just been severely injured, he’s in surgery now. We are combatting eight un-subs, I’ll fill you in, if you decide to help.” 

“My team and I will be there in fifteen.” he answered, “what is your location?” 

“Sentara Med.” 

“Make it ten.” 

“Thank you, Jethro.” he ended the call. 

***

Hotch waited outside for the NCIS team to arrive. The last time he’d seen them was after they had rescued Ziva from the terrorist group in Somalia. He had built a profile, helping to identify the terrorists and their location in time to save Ziva and the two other agents. He had been waiting for them at the extract with a helicopter and S.E.A.L. Team Four. 

They left behind a crater in the sand. 

Gibbs and Hotch had never met officially, every time they worked together it was a need to know op. This would be their first ever official team effort. Emily was going to flip when she found out the characters from her favorite cop show were going to be helping them on the case. 

 

They pulled up in two matching dark blue Dodge Challengers. Well, more like skidded. Hotch could smell the burning rubber from where he stood. Their movements were so fluid and in sync, almost like they practiced getting out of the cars. 

“Aaron, it’s good to see you, wish it was under better circumstances,” Gibbs shook his hand. “I believe you’ve met some of my team?” 

“Yes,” he confirmed, “I met agents DiNozzo, David, and McGee.” 

“Good to see ya again, agent Hotchner,” Tony waved as he jogged to the trunk of the first car, fetching some of the gear the NCIS team had brought with them. “Hey, thanks for the lift by the way, really appreciated that!” 

“I’m happy I was able to help,” he added, “glad to see you three are doing better than the last time we met.” 

“Thank you, agent Hotchner,” Ziva nodded respectfully. 

“Ducky is our M.E.” Gibbs gestured to the elderly man directing the younger looking man standing next to him. 

“Our agent isn’t dead.” Hotch frowned.

“Ducky specializes in behavioral analysis. He can help build a profile. He’s also a damn good doctor, if the hospital needs an extra pair, I’m sure he would be willing to help out,” Gibbs explained, “that’s Palmer, he’s the assistant M.E.” 

“We can use all the help we can get.” 

“You’re okay with sharing lead?” he asked. 

“Rule 38.” Gibbs stated. 

“Never take anything for granted.” Tony supplied. 

“Your case your lead, idiot.” Ziva corrected, rolling her eyes at Tony. 

“Very well, I’ll call Morgan, we can have a squad meeting in the command center.” Hotch pulled out his phone, “need any help?” 

“We’ve got it,” Gibbs responded, picking up two more cases. 

“Morgan,” Hotch said into his phone, “assemble the team in the command center, we have reinforcements coming.” 

“Is it the other BAU team?” Morgan asked.

“No, better.” Hotch answered. 

“Alright, we’ll be ready in five.” he ended the call. 

“Follow me.” Hotch motioned to the doors. He weaved his way through the hospital arriving at the nurses station. 

“Up three floors, first right, can’t miss it.” she monotoned, not looking up from her paperwork. 

“Thanks.” Hotch marched to the elevator, holding the doors for the rest of the NCIS team to file in. as soon as everyone was inside, he pressed the button for the third floor. It felt as though the elevator was barely moving, it slowly creeped up, finally arriving at the third floor after what felt like hours to his stress-addled brain. 

The doors opened, Hotch led the way to the right out of the elevator. The first door they saw had a newly written whiteboard message, “Feds.” he pushed on the door, it swung open revealing a long white room. Some fold tables had been placed in the center, papers were strewn across the combined surfaces, four whiteboards stood at the end of the room, different colored handwritten notes already filled two of them. Photos and typed notes were taped to the third one. 

Someone had thought to hang a map on one of the walls, red dots already marked the spot of the accident and JJ’s house. Morgan, Emily, and Rossi sat waiting for them around the table. Garcia had already created her own little computer corner, she was furiously typing away, laser focused on her screens. She didn’t even acknowledge the door opening, choosing instead to focus solely on the tasks in front of her.  

“There will be time for introductions later, right now we need to get to work.” he placed his hands on the front of the table, the three agents in front of him snapped to attention, ready to be given new orders. The NCIS team set their things down next to the table, assembling behind the BAU. 

“Prentiss, you and agent David are going to pair up and sweep the building. Look for any vulnerabilities, weak spots, blind spots, anything our enemy can use to their advantage. Once you finish with that, come back here and post the list on the whiteboard.” 

“McGee, work with Garcia, she’ll fill you in on what she’s doing.” Garcia raised one of her hands and waved him over. 

“Over here honey,” she called, her gaze staying on whatever it was she was working on. He picked up his things and started setting up his workspace facing hers. 

“DiNozzo, Rossi, do what Prentiss and David are doing, you take the north and the east quadrants, they'll take the south and west. ” 

“Got it.” Tony responded. 

“Morgan, I need you to talk to JJ, see how she’s doing, do not leave her alone. When is she supposed to get here?” he asked. 

“Ten minutes.” he replied. 

“Good, meet her when she arrives, bring her here.” Morgan acknowledged his orders with a small nod.

“Ducky, talk to the doctors, see what you can find out, if they let you observe or help with Doctor Reid, that would be the best possible scenario, but at the least, bring us a report on his status.” 

Ducky responded, “not a problem, I know the head of the ER here quite personally, he owes me a favor after the time I--” 

“Today, Ducky.” Gibbs interjected. 

“Palmer…” Hotch wondered what he could assign him to do that would be useful. 

“Get coffee,” Gibbs ordered, “not the kind from the hospital.” 

“Yes sir.” Palmer sprinted towards the door. 

“Gibbs, you and I are going to go to the crime scene, see what we can find,” Hotch paused, “you have a forensic tech, right?” 

“The very best.” Gibbs answered proudly. 

“she can handle the forensics of the car, I’ll have the towing company send it to your HQ.” Hotch pulled out his phone. “What are you waiting for?” he demanded, “go!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes the title is for imagine dragons, what is with me and song titles this past month??


	15. Pause

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am truly sorry for not posting sooner, its been a crazy week for me. I'm currently in the process of moving, I've had next to no time to write. That said, the next few weeks are gonna be a little hairy in terms of regular posting. I'm gonna try and post once every two weeks, maybe more, maybe less, I have to see how I can fit writing into the next few months. By October this should go back to normal, once per week posting.  
> For lack of a better descriptor, this chapter is pretty much filler, prepping for the next one. I'm honestly excited to start work on the next chapter, hopefully I'll have some time in the next week to write it. 
> 
> Kudos comments and critiques are greatly appreciated. Seriously, I adore having my writing criticized.

They drove in almost silence to the scene. Both men were not the talking kind, choosing to sit silently with their thoughts rather than word-vomit everything that passed through their mind like some federal agents did. Of the two, one would most likely think of Aaron as being slightly more… verbally inclined, but in this particular moment, it was Gibbs who spoke first. “You have to give them a break.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” he switched lanes, “you have to give your team some time to breathe.” 

“Will is still out there,” Hotch huffed, “with seven other officers. Reid is injured, he could be dead for all I know, we don’t have time to breathe.” 

“He’s not dead.” Gibbs swerved to avoid a minivan, “and we’re gonna catch Will,” he blew through a stoplight, “but only if you give your team a moment to catch themselves.”

“But we can’t waste any time, statistics show that--” 

“Aaron, if it were me, you’d be saying the same thing.” Gibbs interrupted, “Listen, I’m not telling you to back off, I’m just asking you to give your team a moment to breathe, an hour or two to just,” he exhaled, “regroup.” 

“But we need to keep working.” Aaron argued, there’s no way we’re going to catch Will if we don’t.” 

“Let my team handle the investigation, just until Reid is out of surgery, your team will be able to focus more once he’s safe.” Gibbs returned. 

“You’re right,” Hotch conceded, “when we get back from the crime scene I’ll order my team to take a little time.” 

Gibbs nodded, “we’re here.” he hit the brakes, hard. The car skidded to a stop right in front of the yellow tape. Hotch and Gibbs slammed the Challenger’s doors, startling the officer on duty. 

“Officer, what’s the status of the crime scene?” Hotch inquired.

“The other FBI team is here sweeping for evidence, the car and any physical evidence found is being shipped to NCIS headquarters.” he responded shakily. 

“Good, thank you, officer.” Hotch and Gibbs ducked under the tape. 

Both of them stood at the edge of the ditch, harsh portable lights shone in every direction, illuminating the other agents searching for evidence. Gibbs quirked an eyebrow, “Hey, Fornell!” he shouted, “you switch teams or somethin?” 

One of the men searching the ditch stopped what he was doing and looked up, “Director ordered me to help with this case.” he adjusted his windbreaker, “what the hell are you doing here?” 

“Helping an old friend.” Gibbs responded, “need a hand getting out?” 

Fornell gingerly made his way up the steep slope, “no thanks.” 

“Agent Fornell, what’s the status of the crime scene?” Hotch asked. 

“My team is sweeping for any other traces, most of it has been sent to miss Sciuto over at NCIS.” he responded, brushing the dirt from his hands. 

“Good, can you tell us what happened?” 

“Preliminary findings suggest that agent Reid was run off the road by a second vehicle, probably a truck based on the level of damage and the tire marks. I’m sure Abby can tell you more.” Fornell explained. 

“Abby?”

“The NCIS forensic scientist,” Fornell grinned, “better prepare yourself, she’s a little… unorthodox.” 

“Nah, you and Abby are gonna get along great, let’s head over to NCIS, check in with her then head back to the hospital.” Gibbs nodded to Fornell, “wanna come with?” 

“Yes please, I’m so damn cold I can’t feel my fingers.” he shoved his hands in his pockets and jogged to the car. 

“Anything I should be aware of before we go see your forensic specialist?” Hotch opened the passenger side door. 

“Abby? Nothing to worry about, we just need to make a quick stop on the way.” 

***

Hospital, 02:10

“Nice to officially meet you, agent David.” Emily shook Ziva’s hand.

“Likewise, agent Prentiss.” Ziva returned her handshake. 

As soon as they rounded the corner, Ziva pulled Emily into a quick hug, “it’s so good to see you, I thought for sure you were dead after last time.” 

“I was going to say the same, it looked, from my angle, like the tunnel collapsed right on top of you.” Emily answered. 

“It did, we lost two agents, but I escaped with Adam.” Ziva explained, “but how the hell did you escape? It looked like once the tunnel collapsed, your end flooded.”  
“It did, but we managed to swim out in time. Me and my old CIA partner,” Emily took a photo of one of the entrances, adding it to the list of access points, “I moved to the FBI after that mission, joining Aaron’s team.” 

“Aaron? Are you all so informal at the FBI?” Ziva asked, “Fornell makes you seem like a group of Trim Reapers.” 

“Grim Reapers, and we aren’t as formal as Fornell likes to make us seem, but Aaron is a… special case.” Emily responded. 

“How so?” Ziva glanced down at the shiny new ring on Emily’s finger, “no you did not!” 

“Yeah, he just proposed a few days ago, but with everything that’s happening, it has taken a backseat.” she answered, marking the stairwell they passed as a blind spot. “Also,” Emily took a large breath in, “YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT YOUR TEAM WAS THE REAL NCIS TEAM THE SHOW IS BASED OFF OF!” 

“What show?” Ziva asked, confused. 

“You really don’t know?” Emily gasped. 

“No I don’t, tell me.” Ziva demanded. 

“There’s a TV show about an NCIS team, and I’m pretty sure it’s based on you guys! Now that I think about it, all the characters look really similar to members of your team.” she explained, “Hotch and I watch it together when we’re home.” 

“Tony’s going to lose his man when he finds out.” Ziva laughed. 

“You mean mind?” Emily quirked her eyebrow.

“Mind what?” Ziva countered. 

“Lose his mind, not lose his man.” Emily explained.

“Oh, yes. I never understood that expression.” Ziva laughed, marking another blind spot on the hospital blueprints. 

Emily’s face fell, “what the hell am I doing?” she clenched her fists, “Reid is in the hospital, getting operated on, and here I am laughing like there’s nothing wrong.” 

“Emily,” Ziva gently placed her hand on her shoulder, “I know how difficult this must be for you, trust me, but right now the only thing keeping you from breaking down altogether is the laughter, the smiles, the moments with your friends, because they make you stronger. That’s what Reid needs, for you and your team to be strong enough to take down Will. Grief can come later.” 

“Thank you for saying that. He’s like a little brother to me, I can’t lose him.” she sniffed, wiping the corner of her eye with the back of her hand. 

“Let’s get back to work, right now that’s what is most important.” Ziva checked off another insecure doorway. 

“Yes, let’s.” 

***

 

NCIS, 03:21

“Abby, update.” Gibbs said as he entered her lab. 

“Gibbs, right now is not the time for talking, I have so much to tell you.” she furiously typed away on her keyboard, displaying something on the monitor attached to the far wall. With one hand, she clicked the remote next to her to pause the loud music blasting from the speakers in her lab. 

“I wasn’t go--” he attempted to answer. 

“Shush!” she pointed to the screen, “see that?” 

“Yeah.” 

“It’s the truck that ran Agent Reid off the road.” she answered. 

“And?” he prompted her. 

“I found it a few cameras back because it ran a red light.” she pointed to a license plate on the screen in front of her. 

“Did you get--” 

“Did I get the plates?” she grinned, he looked at her expectantly. “I got the plates, I have the registration, I have the home address, the make, the model, and I can tell you that this guy likes smoking Camel cigarettes from the corner store two blocks from his apartment.” 

“Can we have it?” Gibbs asked. 

“Already sent to Agent Hotchner’s cell.” 

“How do you know my--” 

“I looked you up before you arrived,” she adjusted her studded choker. 

“Thank you.” he answered, shocked. 

“Caf-Pow?” she asked, waiting. 

“Already in your fridge.” 

“I’ll forward any more info I get to you, now go,” she waved them out the door. 

They exited her lab, the music starting up as they crossed the threshold. 

Hotch checked his phone, there on the screen was a message from a blocked number. He quickly typed in the code and opened the message. “Miss Sciuto has given us the address of the owner of the truck, it belongs to one of our eight officers, Damien White. Looks like it’s on the way back to the hospital, I can have S.W.A.T. meet us there in 20.” 

Gibbs nodded, “I’ll call McGee, hopefully he and Garcia have gotten some more information on the others.” 

Hotch pressed the down arrow on the elevator, “hopefully, we will find White and maybe his brother, they could provide valuable information on the whereabouts of Will and the others.” 

“Hope Fornell is up for something more than just car warming duty.” Gibbs unconsciously brushed his hand over the holstered weapon on his hip, “cause if my gut’s right, these guys aren’t going down without a fight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love y'all!
> 
> UPDATE: I'm going to fix the grammar/spelling problems eventually. My primary goal has been getting this out for y'all, and once this fic is finished I swear I'll go back and fix it all.


	16. Bang Bang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big plot reveal in this chapter! I'll explain more at the bottom. I had very different plans for how this chapter was going to go. I was originally planning a big shootout where most of Will's guys are taken out and he's on the run. That was the general idea of my outline. But that would have been too easy. Instead, I added some more plot, as well as a major twist which I won't reveal here.   
> starting today, I'm posting every two weeks. summary at the end. 
> 
> I don't own CM or NCIS

They parked one block away from Damien White’s house. S.W.A.T. was there, waiting for them, already suited up. “Agent Hotchner, I’m agent Kelly, team leader,” she shook Hotchner’s outstretched hand briefly, “I have three agents covering the back, C team, two more on the side entrance, B team, and a perimeter of 5, D team, surrounding any possible escape routes, we will enter from the front with three more agents.” 

“Good, agent Fornell and Gibbs are prepared, they’re gonna tag along with us, if that’s okay with you?” Hotch popped the safety off of his pistol. 

“Fine by me, let’s get into position,” she waved Gibbs and Fornell over, “I assume you heard the plan?” 

“Yes ma’am.” Fornell and Gibbs nodded the affirmative. 

“Good, my agents are going to take out the door, you three follow behind me. The house appears dark, but you never know, they could be planning an ambush.” She slung her MP5 over her shoulder, “Barbie, Que, you have the battering ram?”

“Affirmative ma’am,” they replied in unison, hoisting the giant metal log between the two of them, and starting the trek across the street. 

“Reuben, you want to take point on this?” agent Kelly asked, strapping on the grenade belt. 

“It would be my genuine pleasure, ma’am.” she jogged across the field behind the other two agents. 

“Let’s go.” agent Kelly dropped her gun from her shoulder and sprinted ahead, motioning for the other three to follow. Hotch unholstered his pistol, he took a restricted breath in, his vest felt too tight around his ribs. He reached the door and fell into position behind agent Kelly, Gibbs and Fornell followed his example, taking up positions behind two of the other agents. 

“On my mark,” agent Kelly whispered. Hotch adjusted the earpiece in his ear, “three, two, one,” Hotch breathed in slowly and exhaled.

“THIS IS THE FBI! DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND SURRENDER, YOU ARE SURROUNDED.” Agent Kelly shouted, giving the signal for the battering ram.  _ BANG! _ The door splintered inwards, an imprint of the battering ram was left where the first strike had hit.  _ BANG!  _ The entire door collapsed into the house, hinges and handle breaking in one blow. Agent Reuben darted through the opening, no doubt the other teams had already made entry.  _ Bang! Bang!  _ Two quick succession shotgun blasts broke the momentary silence. He shook his head in an attempt to stop his ears from ringing but it did nothing. 

Agent Reuben flew backward through the door, the force of the shotgun blasts sent her sprawling down the steps. Agents Barbie and Que dropped the battering ram and lifted their guns, returning fire and providing cover for Agent Kelly to pull Reuben to safety behind some hedges. 

“Go on, I can take care of her!” she waved Hotch off, “all units be advised, possible multiple subjects, armed and dangerous, showing no signs of surrender. Subdue if you can, kill if you must, one of our own is down.” 

Hotch heard gunfire coming from the back of the house followed by a strangled scream and thud. “Jethro, Tobias, on me!” he shouted, “Agents, I need cover fire!” 

“Roger that, sir!” Barbie and Que responded, dropping their spent clips and replacing them with new ones. 

“Come and get me, bastards!” someone shouted inside. 

Hotch rushed through the door, Fornell and Gibbs right behind him. He saw the glint of a muzzle in the corner of the room, “drop your weapons!” he demanded. The other two flanked him, searching for signs of other enemy combatants. 

“You wish, FBI pussy!” the man in the corner yelled back, hotch heard him reloading his gun, he had a seven second window to take him out before he could fire another shot. 

Hotch dropped his pistol and barreled towards the corner where the other man was. He made contact, smashing him against the wall and ripping the gun from his hands. The man struggled, punching Hotch hard in the jaw. Hotch managed to gain the upper hand by smashing his elbow into the man’s nose, making him scream. 

His hesitation was the opening Hotch needed to land two quick punches to his nose, effectively incapacitating him. The man crumpled to the floor, any will to fight draining out with the blood from his nose and mouth. He whimpered softly, coughing a muffled insult into the floor. 

Hotch pulled his arms behind him, cuffing his hands then yanking the man to his knees. “Can I get a light?” 

Gibbs pointed his muzzle light into the man’s face, he winced from the sudden brightness and squeezed his eyes shut. “That’s Aidan White,” Gibbs stated. 

The man grinned maniacally, blood dripping from his swollen lips and down his chin, “ “displeasure to meet you.” he chuckled at his own joke, the laugh quickly descended into a coughing fit lasting a few seconds. When he caught his breath, Aidan spat a mouthful of blood on to the floor, hitting the edge of Fornell’s boot. 

“Fornell, bring him to the truck, see how Kelly and Reuben are,” Hotch ordered. 

“On it.” Fornell wrenched Aidan up by the arm and all but threw him out the door. He stumbled and fell going through the door frame, sliding face first down the stairs, “What? Do I have to drag this idiot to the truck?” he followed Aidan out the door. 

“Nice one.” Gibbs offered Hotch a hand. He took it, accepting the older agent’s help. 

“Thanks,” he wiped the corner of his mouth and swallowed a few times in an attempt to remove the coppery taste from his tongue. “Agents Barbie and Que, meetup with C team and help them clear the basement. Gibbs, you and I will join with B and clear the upstairs.” 

“Yes sir.” the two other agents jogged to the other side of the house. 

“C team, you have two friendlies approaching from the front of the house, they’ll be joining you for the basement.” Hotch relayed. 

“Roger that.” replied the team leader. 

“B team, myself and Gibbs will meet you at the bottom of the stairs, we are here already, awaiting your arrival.” 

“Roger that, we’ll be there in a minute.” B team leader responded. 

Hotch gingerly rubbed the side of his jaw that had been hit. His lip had already begun to swell, blood oozed out of the cut from the punch Aidan had landed. It throbbed lightly, he felt it heating up as more blood rushed to the wound. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, trying to stem the bleeding. He couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. 

B team arrived sooner than they had said, “Agents, you ready to clear the rest of the upstairs?” 

“Yes, Fornell has taken one of the white brothers to the truck, any sign of the other one?” Hotch retrieved his pistol from the ground. 

“We shot one hostile on the way in, he died instantly, but he wasn’t Damien White, I didn’t get a good look, but I think it might have been Chip Anders.” the team leader responded. 

“Alright, we’ll deal with that later.” Hotch motioned for the others to follow him up the stairs. The landing was clear, but the four doors he could see were all closed.  _ You take left, we’ll take right _ . He motioned for the other two agents to check the two doors on the left, he and Gibbs would take the ones on the right. 

Gibbs ripped open the door for Hotch, he flashed his muzzle light inside, sweeping for any signs of another assailant. Seeing nothing, he and Gibbs crept inside. There was only a closet and a bed, other than that, the room was bare. He silently counted down from three on his fingers, Gibbs opened the closet door for him, revealing nothing but an empty space. 

They exited the room, heading cautiously towards the other door. The other two agents did the same, having cleared their room and found nothing. This time, Hotch opened the door for Gibbs, he nodded to let Hotch know the main room was empty. Hotch followed him inside, finding largely the same setup as the one before. Hotch opened the closet door, waiting for Gibbs to clear it. 

“Nothing.” Gibbs growled, lowering his weapon. 

“C team, did you find anything?” Hotch said into his earpiece. 

“No other hostiles, but Agent Hotchner, you’re gonna want to see this.” 

They left the second bedroom, “find anything?” he asked the other two agents. 

“Nothing.” the team leader replied. 

“Go find Fornell, call this in, we’re going to need another evidence processing team.” the two agents jogged down the stairs once he had finished giving them their orders, “Gibbs, call Ducky, we have a body for him.” 

“Got it.” Gibbs whipped out his phone and dialed a number, “Hey, Duck-- no Palmer I don’t want to talk to you, just tell me when Ducky will be available to talk-- yes today, I understand that he’s busy and no you can’t take a message.” 

Hotch left Gibbs to deal with the M.E. assistant, jogging all the way down to the basement. The lights in the house had been switched on, on his way to the basement, he passed by one dead body near B team’s entry point. The door leading down was open, he carefully made his way down the steep staircase, gripping the wooden railing in case he slipped. 

What he saw at the bottom almost made him fall down the rest of the stairs. The wall across from him was a whiteboard. On the surface was what looked like a points system, every name had its own section of the board with tally marks, writing he couldn’t read from this far away and… photos. 

He didn't need to go closer to see what the general theme of them was, and God, he really didn’t want to. But he did, because this was what he signed up for. The other agents trudged up the stairs one by one until only the team leader was left. “I don’t envy you man,” he said sorrowfully, “no one should have to get inside the minds of the people who did this.” he gently patted him on the shoulder as he too made his way up. 

The board was cut into eight sections, each one had a name at the top and a “tally box.” below those were descriptions and photos. It seemed as though every violent act these people had committed was scored and recorded here. Photos were evidence that it had happened, and tally marks were to keep score. 

Hotch felt the acidic bile in his esophagus rise into his mouth, he forced himself to swallow, but by doing so his stomach only convulsed in protest and he choked violently. He had to get out, needed to get out. He couldn’t take it, not anymore. He needed a minute, maybe more. 

He rushed up the stairs, tripping every few steps but making it to the top without falling. He slammed the door shut behind him and sprinted for the front door. Hotch made it outside, taking a deep breath of the fresh, cold, winter air. It cleared his lungs, cleared his throat, and cleared his mind. 

After a few minutes of standing in the cold, he could think clearly again. 

The first thing he did was dial Emily, “Emily, I-I--” his voice faltered. 

“Aaron, what’s wrong?” she asked, he could hear the concern in her voice.

He took a deep breath in,  _ compartmentalize goddamnit Aaron,  _ “Emily, bring everyone from our team except JJ to the location I just sent you.” he clicked the ‘send message’ button with the address copy-pasted into the send bar from Abby. “Emily, prepare yourself, what you’re about to see-- I--I don’t even know how to describe it. I can’t describe it…” he trailed off. 

“We’ll be there soon.” she answered, “Aaron, are you okay?” 

“Ye--” should he lie to her? No, this was Emily, she would see right through it. “No, I’m not, but I can deal with that later, right now, what matters is catching the rest of them. One is dead so far, I don’t have a body count. One we captured, he’s awaiting transfer.” 

“Aaron, I’m coming for you, just hold on a little longer. I love you.” 

“Love you too, Emily.” He ended the call, letting the phone drop into the grass. He sank down against the side of the house, staring blankly through the gap in his knees.  _ I know those marks,  _ his back muscles shivered,  _ I know those scars,  _ the gashes on his chest from Foyet tingled,  _ I remember,  _ he brought a hand subconsciously to his neck,  _ the bruises.  _

“Aaron!” Gibbs shouted, shaking him.

_ Need Emily…  _ he thought to himself, not registering his friend calling his name. 

“Aaron!” Gibbs shook him harder, “don’t do this.” 

“Do what?” Hotch shook his head, trying to clear it.  _ Why do I do that? It never works.  _

“Need a hand?” Gibbs asked, reaching out for him. 

“Yeah, thanks,” he let Gibbs pull him up for the second time. 

“You doing alright?” 

“Truthfully, I don’t think I am, but right now we need to solve this case.” 

“Then let’s solve it, I think we have a perp to interrogate, thanks to you.” 

“Where is he?” 

“In the truck with Fornell, they really don’t get along.” 

“Well, let’s go have a chat then.” 

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” Hotch took a few shaky steps forward. He breathed in deeply and exhaled,  _ must compartmentalize,  _ he thought, stepping back into his usual confident stride.  _ I cannot allow him to see weakness.  _ They reached the truck, Hotch heard sirens in the distance, no doubt his team accompanied by ambulances from the hospital to treat the wounded. 

“Agent Kelly,” Hotch greeted the S.W.A.T. leader, she was on the ground next to her fallen agent, pressing down a few different blood soaked towels covering parts of the agent. “What’s the status of agent Reuben?” 

“I think she’s gonna make it, the shotgun missed most of her vital organs because of her vest, but there were a few places that weren’t covered.” agent Kelly responded. 

“I’m glad she’ll be alright.” he nodded and made his way around them to the truck. 

“Aaron, I think it would be best of we transferred the base of operations to NCIS headquarters.” 

“Why? We can just go to the FBI, that’s where we are based.” 

“Not only will it disorient the ones you are hunting, but the safest place for your team, for Emily, is where they won’t come looking.” Gibbs holstered his weapon, “and Abby can give us our information much faster than if we were across the city.” 

“You’re right, I’ll notify the teams, I’ll keep JJ and Rossi there for when Reid wakes up.” He dialed Emily’s number again, “Change of plans…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: they storm the house, some swat agents are injured, Hotch fights someone, Aidan White is captured, Chip Anders is killed. they go down to the basement where they find the reason these men have all defected/a system of points based on violent acts. Hotch almost has a breakdown in the field, he calls emily, gibbs convinces him to bring the investigation to NCIS HQ. 
> 
> I still can't believe I wrote this chapter. It was honestly very difficult for me to do, especially since I had planned something completely different from what happened here. I am warning you it's gonna get a little bit worse before it gets better, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!   
> comments, notes, and critiques are greatly appreciated. 
> 
> Love you guys, I'm sorry, please don't kill me 
> 
> ps   
> its way choppier than usual, mainly because I haven't had time to do a full sweep, I just wanted to get this out for you.


	17. Rise and Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I'm alive, I swear!! Sorry I didn't get this up sooner, it's been a crazy month!!! I've finally settled in though, which means more time for writing!! Unless of course the gods of work decide to dump a bunch on me, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there, eh?   
> From now on, posting will be every two weeks, there's too much going on in my life right now for it to be weekly. perhaps for the winter holidays I'll surprise you with a few extras thrown in.   
> The chapter is relatively short, mainly due to the time factor. I'm gonna try to keep them to at least five pages, but we shall see, I have so much writing I'm doing which I am required to do that time has really been a thing, and it's an annoying thing.  
> P.S. my time zone has changed from USA to Europe, so midnight, (my typical deadline) has become earlier. new posting day is going to be Thursdays. 
> 
>  
> 
> love you all! comments and critiques make me smile!

“Dr. Reid?” 

Spencer blinked his eyes open, the harsh bright light stung his eyes, it made them water, but he forced them to stay open as his pupils dilated. 

“Dr. Reid, can you hear me?” 

“Y-yes,” his voice came out hoarse and rough from lack of use, “I c-can hear y-you.” 

“That’s good, I need you to hold still for a moment, can you do that?” 

“Yes.” he responded,  _ it’s not like I can get very far anyways.  _

“Good,” the man responded. He reached out one blurry arm and pressed a button on the table. The bed behind Spencer gradually clicked itself to a more vertical position than where he had been before. 

“Dr, Reid?” his shape slowly came into focus, “I’m one of the nurses at this hospital, do you know what happened to you?” 

“I-” he shut his eyes,  _ getting rear ended, rolling down the slope, being tugged from the car, Will…  _ he opened them partially, staring at the knit-white blanket covering his legs, “I was in an accident…” 

“That’s right, you were hit by--” 

He interrupted the nurse, “but it wasn’t an accident, I was run off the road.” 

“Now, let’s not say things like that until we’re sure, all we know is that you were found mostly dead in a ditch off the highway. EMT’s didn’t think you were still alive until you said something and nearly gave them a heart attack.” 

“I know I was hit by someone else, they dragged me out of the car after.” he was sure he saw Will, absolutely sure, “It was Will, I need to talk to Hotch, tell Hotch I need to talk to him,” he ripped the monitors off of his chest with his left arm and tried desperately to get a grip on the plasticy sheets, his nails scrabbling uselessly against the plastic covered mattress. 

He shifted his weight to his left hip and swung his legs around. His broken ribs pulsed in complaint, enough for him to inhale sharply. “Doctor Reid!” the nurse said, “you can’t do that!” he pressed a few buttons on the screen next to him. The nurse forcefully lifted Spencer’s legs back on to the bed, taking extra care with the one in the boot. 

“No!” he shouted, the pitch of his voice raising frantically, “I have to talk to Hotch! Where’s JJ, I have to see her!” he fought vehemently against the nurse, kicking out with his booted leg. Rather than it having the desired effect, he felt his muscles and body begin to slow until moving his leg any further would have been as useful as trying to kick through molasses. 

“Wh-what did yo-u d-do t-to m-e?” Spencer slurred. His head hit the pillow behind him. His eyes slid shut, the rest of his body going limp as the sedative slid through his body. 

***

“JJ?” Emily spoke softly through the cracked waiting room door. 

“What?” JJ demanded sharply. 

“Listen, I know you’re pissed we suspended you from the case, but you have to understand why.” Emily soothed. 

“It’s a dumb-as-fuck reason.” she growled back. 

Emily rarely heard JJ swear, “S.W.A.T. is going to stay here with you, JJ, Reid woke up.” 

“WHAT?” JJ shouted, ripping the door open. Her hair was tangled, her eyes red and puffy, she was still wearing Reid’s oversized T-shirt and her own sweatpants. It was the one Garcia had gotten him, after the last Comic-Con, sporting a TARDIS and the words, “ _ Trust me, I’m the Doctor!”  _ a small dark puddle on the hem of the shirt made Emily think JJ had used it to wipe her tears away before she had opened the door.  _ JJ never was one to show weakness.  _

“I want to see him, now!” she demanded, “where is he?” 

“He’s asleep right now, the nurse had to sedate him.” Emily explained, cautiously placing her hand on JJ’s shoulder, “until he wakes up, I’ll stay with you, okay?” she smiled softly, “I think you need to talk to someone.” 

“Thanks, Emily,” her voice broke on the last syllable as she choked back a sob. 

Emily gathered the smaller woman into her embrace, gently squeezing her in an attempt to comfort her. “Let’s go sit okay, you can talk to me once you feel up to it, I won’t be going anywhere.” 

“Okay,” JJ sniffed. They entered the waiting room, Emily supporting most of JJ’s weight as she guided her to the small couch. The two of them sank into the flimsy cushions, some of the springs groaned in protest, but it held together. 

JJ curled herself into Emily’s arms and rested her head of her shoulder. Strands of her hair were plastered to her tearstained face, Emily lightly brushed them behind her ear, wiping the salty water from her face. For a moment, Emily felt a pang of wistful nostalgia, her mind flashing back to a time before Hotch, before the Reaper, to her first few years with the BAU. 

_ “Emily, it’s snowing, let’s go outside, you love the snow!” JJ called, throwing a pair of mittens and a hat at the blanket-lump on the couch.  _

_ “But I’m warm here.” the lump whined, “I don’t wanna go out.”  _

_ “Come on, it’ll be fun!” JJ pulled her gloves on.  _

_ “Cuddle?” asked the lump hopefully, reaching a partially blanketed arm in her general direction.  _

_ JJ grabbed the arm and pulled, freeing Emily from the lump of blankets. She tumbled to the floor at JJ’s feet, blinking her wide brown eyes in surprise at the blonde’s methods. “Snow first, then cuddle.”  _

_ “Fine,” Emily huffed, “cuddle and fire, with takeout.”  _

_ “Deal,” JJ chuckled, reaching out for Emily’s outstretched hand. She pulled hard, gripping her hand tightly as Emily stood from the ground.  _

_ Emily used JJ’s hand to reel her in until their bodies barely brushed against each other, “just,” she lightly pecked her on the lips, “for,” emphasizing each word with a chaste kiss, “you.”  _

Emily blinked, and the memory faded away, back to her subconscious. Her phone beeped, she used the hand that wasn’t occupied to check the message on the screen,  _ Emily, need to call you soon, have new info.  _ From Morgan. By her measure, 10 minutes had passed since they entered the waiting room. 

JJ sniffed, her tears had slowed to the occasional drip, rather than the torrent they had been a few minutes before. “I think I’m ready to t-talk now.” 

Emily gently dragged her fingers through JJ’s hair in an effort to calm her, “okay,” she whispered. 

“Spencer didn’t read my statement before he left I didn’t tell him everything I was going to but I wanted to wait I didn’t tell him he was a target.” The words spilled out, rushed and jumbled, “Emily, Reid didn’t know he had a target on his back because of me I didn’t tell him it’s my fault he’s hurt.” her voice broke into a sob, she buried her head into Emily’s shoulder. 

Emily sighed deeply, “Jay, none of this is your fault. None. You couldn’t have known Will was going to do that, none of us could have.” She made sure not to mention the accident by name. 

“I guess you’re right Em, but I still can’t stop blaming myself.” She tucked herself further into the crook of Emily’s arm, reveling in the warmth the older woman was radiating. “Can you stay with me for a bit?” JJ asked, yawning. 

“Of course I can, I’ll stay until Spencer wakes up, okay?” Emily waited for a response, but the only one she got was a small sigh of comfort as JJ drifted to sleep. 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispering* "Insomnia sucksssssss"
> 
>  
> 
> TOTALLY NOT FORESHADOWING FOR A PREQUEL AT ALL, TEHEHEHEHE


	18. Heart Beat Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy mother of all it's been crazy! I'm so sorry y'all, I intended to have this up ages ago, but the past week and a half have been utter work-hell. Hopefully, it's going to get better the next few weeks, so I'll be able to post more.  
> Another shorty, sorry about that, but I put some fluff at the end which I will probably get around to editing again at some point.   
> If any of you can guess where the title of this chapter is from 10 points to you! I'll put the answer at the bottom!   
> AAAAAnd that's all from me folks!   
> comments and critiques are appreciated

_ Tap tap tap  _

“Mfgh,” Emily groaned,  _ who ever is disturbing my sleep better have a damn good reason or else they will suffer dearly.  _

_ Tap tap tap  _

Emily cracked open one eye, the door, blurry at first came into focus slowly. 

_ Tap tap tap,  _ “agents Jareau and  Prentiss?” asked a distinctly male voice from outside the door. 

Emily sighed and opened the other eye, she brushed her hair behind her ear, finding it had rebelled against the conditioner and straightener, and had instead flufed back out to its usual waviness.  _ Gonna have to fix that, s _ he thought. “What do you want?” she said gruffly. 

“Agent, may I come in?” asked the voice. 

“Yeah, just a minute.” Emily responded. “JJ, time to wake up,” she whispered softly into the sleeping woman’s ear. 

JJ jerked awake, her forehead knocking the bottom of Emily’s chin, “ow-mfff!!” Emily cursed lightly under her breath, swishing the saliva in her mouth around the tip of her tongue in an effort to swirl away the blood from where her teeth had come together. 

“Emily!” JJ yelped, “ohmygod! Are you okay?” she detangled herself from Emily and scooted off her lap on to the nearby couch cushion. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Emily grumbled. “You can come in now.” she called to the man outside the door. 

The door swung inward, revealing a tall, skinny man in a nurse’s uniform. “Agents, we are taking the sedatives out of agent Reid’s medicine, he will be awake in a few minutes.” 

“Show me where he is.” JJ lept from the couch and crossed the small waiting room in three strides, any trace of the tiredness she had felt vanished into thin air. “Emily, you’re gonna come with, right?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be right there, just need to make a call” Emily pulled out her phone,  _ five missed calls from Morgan. Shit.  _ Emily dialed his number, the line barely rang once before it was picked up on the other end. 

“Emily, finally! Where were you?” Morgan asked. 

“Oh I was jus--” 

“Doesn’t matter, Emily, after you took over for me with JJ I got Rossi and DiNozzo to come with me to check out Will’s house, you’ll never believe this, but we caught Christian Given and Damien White. They were there, I don’t know why, they’re refusing to talk. Rossi took two to the chest, but he’s okay, they got the vest. What’s your status?” 

“Well,” Emily paused, “JJ is with Reid, he should be waking up any minute. Still no word from Hotch, but I’ll keep you posted on that. I was actually about to call him right after I called you.” 

“Let me know what he says, I’m gonna see if these two will talk.” 

“Good luck with that,” Emily ended the call. Not a second after, the phone rang, Hotch’s photo flashing on the screen. 

***

“JJ…” Spencer mumbled, “Need to find…” he trailed off. “WHERE’S JJ? I HAVE TO FIND JJ!” he shouted, jerking violently in the hospital, “WHERE IS J-” 

“Spence, .” JJ whispered softly from the doorway. She perched herself on the arm of the chair, gently lifting his hand from the sheets and clasping it in hers. “I’m right here.” 

“JJ,” the tension in his muscles visibly released, and his body sagged back to the bed. “You’re safe.” 

“Spence I’m so sorry I should have--” 

“JJ, Will ran me off the road, I know it was him. And JJ he had friends, they helped him, JJ please you have to tell Hotch that there are others.” 

“Spencer, I know, we all know. That’s what the team has been working on.” she huffed, “Spencer, it’s my fault this happened, I’m so sorry, I should have said--” 

“JJ, none of this is your fault. To think otherwise is just plain wrong.” 

“I should have told you that Will threatened you and Emily.”

“JJ, this wasn’t you. It was Will. Stop taking responsibility for his actions, they aren’t yours.” He squeezed her hand.

“I should probably get your statement if you feel up to giving it.” She had to focus on work, that was the only way this was going to finish, is if she did her job, she can help the team, she can, even if they try to stop her. 

“Perhaps later?” he yawned, “I don’t remember a lot, it’s coming back in pieces though.”

“You? Doctor Reid? You don’t remember something?” JJ asked sardonically. 

“I have an eidetic memory, not a photographic one. There are actually quite a few differences between them, and also since I was just in an accident--”

“I was just joking around with you” JJ snickered. 

“Oh” 

“I love you, Spence, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you everything.” she awkwardly laid her head on the pillow next to his. 

“Don’t apologize, I love you too.” he slid back a few inches to make more room in the tiny hospital bed for JJ. she flopped from the chair to the bed, carefully avoiding Spencer’s bandaged left arm and shoulder. 

“The only thing that really matters right now is that we are safe, and we are together, everything else can come later.” Reid reached out for her with his good arm, she cuddled closer into his chest, taking comfort in the fact that  _ he’s here, he’s safe, he’s warm, he smells like Spencer, I didn’t lose him. I can’t lose him.  _

JJ listened to his shaky breaths rattle though his body. He was trying to put on a brave face for her, she could tell, but no doubt, the pain from his injuries would be immense, even with the painkillers. From her own experience, painkillers numbed the mind more than they did the body, at least it felt that way. 

Though his breaths were uneven, JJ could hear his strong heart beating behind his ribcage,  _ they could never kill you, you’re too strong, no matter what anyone says.  _ She gently brushed a few curly locks of hair out of his face. He sighed in his sleep, squeezing her closer to him with his good arm. 

The corners of JJ’s mouth turned up slightly, yes Spencer was hurt, yes Will was still out there, but right now, she has Spencer, and he doesn’t blame her. Right now, that was all she could ask for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dashboard Confessional, Heart Beat Here


	19. Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooooo there! So it's been a while, sorry about that, I'm gon a try and keep it to around 2 weeks, but we shall see how that works out.  
> This chapter was... well I honestly don't know how to describe it other than bad news and worse news. it is necessary for plot progression though, I promise. We're building to something pretty big. I would say there is probably another 20 chapters of this story before it finishes, but there is going to be a prequel and probably a sequel or two or three heheheheh.  
> anywho, I'm out for now. Love y'all, your support is much appreciated!  
> criticism and comments are always welcome!  
> I don't own CM, NCIS or THe Road Not Taken

“Morgan,” after the phone call with Hotch, Emily wasted no time in organizing the group move to NCIS HQ. 

“Yeah, Prentiss, what’s up?” he answered on the other end.

“Something big just happened, Hotch didn’t explain everything, he sent an address to your phone. Meet me there with Rossi and DiNozzo. We’re moving HQ to NCIS, Hotch thinks that is the best course of action.” she covered the speaker on her phone, “Garcia, McGoo, truck’s outside.” the two other agents nodded and headed to the door. The NCIS agent whispered something, but Emily couldn't hear what it was. 

“Emily,” Morgan asked, “is our team okay?” 

“For the moment, no one is hurt badly, but Hotch didn’t sound too good on the phone,” she answered honestly.

“That will have to be enough for now,” nonetheless, Morgan sounded worried, “what do you want us to do with the two jackasses we found at Will’s house?” 

“Bring them to NCIS HQ on the way, we can deal with them later.” She checked her watch, almost six in the morning and four out of eight had been captured or killed, not bad, but still not enough. She needed to get to Hotch as quickly as possible. He did not sound good on the phone, not at all. The last time his voice had waivered like that was after Christopher’s case…Yeah, Emily definitely needed to get to Hotch soon. 

“Emily? Emily? You still there?” Morgan’s voice broke her from her thoughts. 

“Yeah, I think that should be everything, I’ll meet you at the address.” She ended the call. Emily knew she would have to leave someone with JJ and Reid, other than the S.W.A.T. agents, but who? Hotch was already at the scene, Garcia was with agent McGoo or whatever his name was, Rossi and Morgan were escorting the suspects back to NCIS, there was no one from her team available. She entered the makeshift command center. Ziva was sitting at one of the tables putting files into boxes awaiting transfer. 

“Hey, Ziva?” Emily called quietly. 

“Emily,” Ziva placed the last manilla folder into the box in front of her and stood. She clamped the lid on, flipping the seals and slid it across the table to where the rest of the boxes were packed and waiting. “How is your agent?” 

“He’s awake, JJ is with him, Docs say he’s okay for now, but there could be further complications down the road.” 

“Does JJ know this?” Ziva always knew what the other shoe was before it dropped, it was one of the things Emily admired about the other agent. “What kind of complications?” 

“Well, the doctor I spoke to when JJ went to go see Reid said that there is a chance that his spinal cord was damaged too severely for it to heal properly,” Emily said quietly.

“What do you mean?” 

Her voice was barely a whisper, “he might not be able to walk again.” 

***

Hotch was losing it. He knew he needed to pull it together before the rest of the team arrived, but it wasn’t that simple, it never was. He had seen the pictures, they were too vivid in his mind’s eye, just too vivid. Too vivid,  _ too similar.  _ He unconsciously rubbed his neck. Jethro and Fornell were interrogating the suspect. After what Jethro had seen, he told Hotch to take a minute to breathe, and for the first time since this started, Hotch didn’t protest. He trusted Jethro, knew he would do an excellent job with the interview. He needed the time, he really needed it, else he might break in front of them, and he couldn’t let that happen, he just couldn’t. Still, he needed Emily to get here soon, he could do this if she was here, he knew he could, with her support, he could do what needed to be done. His mouth tasted stale, the remnants of the last coffee he drank clung to his tongue, souring his tastebuds, he really needed another cup of coffee. Right now, he needed to compartmentalize, he needed to just figure out his thoughts damn it because this was not how a team leader should be acting, or reacting, both, neither, it didn’t matter, he needed to get his shit together. He was Aaron Hotchner, team leader of the best B.A.U. team in existence. He could do this, he could.  _ Those bruises looked a hell of a lot like yours. _ whispered the voice in his head. 

He walked a ways into the snow-dusted trees surrounding the house. Nature helped to clear his mind, it helped everyone, right?  _ Focus Aaron, focus, what can you hear? What can you see?  _ He took a deep breath in, filling his lungs with the icy winter air, welcoming the refreshing taste in his mouth. He walked further through the woods, looking for something to focus his attention on, something to clear his head of the images he had seen. He took off his suit jacket and laid it down on a fallen log near the path he was following. He thought he heard the sound of a stream, maybe a small brook. He wanted to find it, perhaps throwing some water on his face would help. 

Hotch numbly loosened his tie, his fingers felt as though they were covered in sticky molasses, they could barely find their way inside the knot he had expertly tied the day before. He frantically scratched at the knot until it was loose enough for him to rip from his neck. He tossed it to the ground, knowing he could pick it up later. What mattered now was finding that stream. He came upon a fork in the path. It reminded him of a poem Emily had shared with him once by a favorite author of hers. 

_ Emily sits down on the couch cushion next to him. She manually picks up his arm and wraps it around her shoulders. He chuckles softly and squeezes her lightly. Hotch quickly steals a glance at her out of the side of his eye.  _

_ She looks so beautiful, the firelight dancing across her face, reflecting in her pupils and illuminating her hair. She doesn’t have it straightened, the way she usually does. Instead, she lets her natural waves flow down her back, just past her clavicle. He resists the urge to gently stroke her hair, not wanting to disturb her from her book. ‘Ah, what the heck, she probably won’t mind.’ he thinks as he bends his wrist and gently runs his fingers through the soft curls. Their silken smooth feel against his fingers is exactly what he had pictured, what he remembered from the hundreds of times he’s done it before.  _

_ “Hmm?” she looks up from her book.  _

_ “Sorry, I just, you look so beautiful and I guess I just--” he trails off, not really knowing where he was going with that in the first place.  _

_ She smiles softly, “thank you.”  _

_ “What are you reading?” He asks, changing the subject. He feels the heat rushing to his cheeks, hoping she wouldn’t notice the sudden redness.  _

_ “It’s a collection of poems by my favorite author,” she responds, flipping the page.  _

_ “Who is it?” he closes the book he is reading, carefully wedging a bookmark between the two pages where he stopped.  _

_ “Robert Frost.” a small smile crosses her lips as she says his name, “I don’t think you would know him.”  _

_ “Maybe I do,” he didn’t recognize the name, “would you read me a poem of his?”  _

_ “Yeah, let me find one.” She leafs through the pages, almost to the end of the book, “This one is good, it’s called The Road Not Taken.”  _

_ “That sounds intriguing.”  _

_ “It is, now shush so I can read it to you.”  _

_ “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could… Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” She finishes reading the poem and flips back to the page she had been on. “There, some Robert Frost for you.” _

_ He must have missed some of the poem because he couldn’t quite remember the middle bit. He had been focused on her the whole time, rather than the poem, which he knows wasn’t his intended plan, but he just couldn’t help it. She was here, curled under his arm, reading to him. Emily Prentiss. He had no words to describe her, he didn’t think any could even measure up.  _

Hotch blinked a few times, refocusing on the paths ahead.  _ And be one traveler, long I stood… _ he looked down both paths as far as he could see. He didn’t know which one would lead to the creek, but he may as well just choose one and hope it brought him where he wanted to go. Both paths looked equally good. The one on the right had a trail of what looked like some kind of small creature’s footprints on it, they crisscrossed along through the light layer of snow covering the dirt beneath. 

He examined each one once more, looking right then left then right. For no reason other than a blind choice, he took the path to the left. He meandered along, allowing his eyes to catch on the magnificent oak trees blanketed in snow.  _ I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. _

He didn’t know how long it was before he reached the creek. He heard the water rushing first and followed the sound to the bank. It was much bigger than he had envisioned. The bank was about a foot, maybe two from the water, which he deemed to be about a half of a foot deep. He knelt in the snow by the edge of the bank. His hazy reflection looked back at him,  _ it was your fault, Aaron.  _

Hotch shook his head and dipped his hands into the water. He almost withdrew them the moment his fingertips brushed the surface; the cold shocked his nerves, but the numbness set in almost instantly after. He pushed them all the way to the bottom of the stream, letting the rocks and sediment rush through his fingers.  _ This feels so good,  _ he closed his eyes, relishing in the cold water of the stream. He cupped his hands and splashed some water on his face, gasping as the water hit his skin. Water dripped from his eyelashes into his eyes. He blinked a few times to get rid of the bigger drops.

Cupping his hands again, he placed them into the stream and collected some water. He brought his hands to his lips and sipped. It numbed his cheeks, his tongue, the roof of his mouth. He swallowed, it numbed his insides all the way down to his stomach, filling his body with cold until he could barely stop himself from shivering. He took another sip, and another until his entire body shook from the cold. Even then, he didn’t stop, he drank and drank until he was too weak to dip his hands into the stream. 

Hotch shut his eyes, his body tipping over further and further until suddenly he wasn’t upright at all. In fact, he seemed to be lying in the snow, but he was comfortable and warm, he thought maybe he could rest here for a little bit, Jethro was still busy interrogating the subject probably, no one would really mind his absence for the time being. 

“Aaron?” he heard, or thought he heard someone’s voice calling his name, but at the moment he didn’t really care. He could deal with that later. He sighed, allowing his brain to slowly drift away from consciousness. 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hotch is now officially MIA! uh oh! and who does that voice belong to?? hmmmmmmmm cliffhanger, sorry to do that to you guys, don't kill me, please.  
> Anyone like the Beatles reference for the title?  
> Also, it's autumn rn, I had to do a Robert Frost reference, I had to, I'm sorry. Fun fact: he read his poem the gifty outright at President Kennedy's swearing-in. He was in his 80's at the time, and he ended up reciting the poem from memory because the typewriter had smudged the ink. Cool, right? I highly recommend reading the full version of The Road Not Taken, as well as some of his other works. they are fantastic. Some of my favorites are Song of the Wave, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, and the Fear. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poems/45684  
> here is a link to some of them, the rest sadly aren't on the website, but are accessible on the internet or in a good library. 
> 
> Good day to you all, I'll stop with the Frost-rant now. 
> 
> love you all, new chapter coming soon!


	20. Clarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! new chapter, finally, I've been dying to get this up but I wanted to spend some extra time on the interrogation scene to make it better. Hopefully it is okay?? First time writing a real interrogation. This chapter explains a lot of plot, I know I've been keeping y'all in the dark about most of it until now, but Aidan is a chatty Kathy so we're going to learn a lot. More notes as well as a summary at the end for those who wish to skip as there are some references to things.

Emily arrived at the crime scene just as dawn broke. The watery sunlight bathed the whole area, even the surrounding woods in a sedated, grey light. Save the bloodstained snow, one would not be able to tell that someone had just been shot here. The forensic teams had already arrived, including the NCIS medical examiners. 

Emily needed to find Hotch. Right now, that was priority one. She wasn’t sure he could hold on for much longer without someone to talk to, and if need be, he could transfer case leadership to Morgan, but Emily didn’t think that needed to happen. She knew Hotch was strong, he could hold on and deal with this case, especially if it was for JJ and Reid. 

She saw the silhouette of who she thought might be agent Gibbs. He was waiting outside the S.W.A.T. car, peering inside. “Agent Gibbs,” she waved to him from across the street. 

“Agent Prentiss, how is your agent in the hospital?” He asked. 

“He’ll make it--” 

“SIT DOWN AND START TALKING OR I’LL HELP YOU SIT DOWN AND TALK, CLEAR?” The shouted commands echoed out the open door of the S.W.A.T. truck. 

Gibbs gently shut the door and twisted the handle. “Fornell and Aidan White don’t  _ really _ get along” he explained, “I’m glad to hear your agent will make it, that will help Aaron calm down.” 

“Speaking of Agent Hotchner,” Emily straightened her ponytail, “where is he?” 

“You can cut the act Prentiss, I know you two are engaged,” Gibbs pointed towards the woods near the side of the property, “he went in there to clear his head, I think you should be able to find him.” 

“Good, I will go look for him in a minute, mind if I have a quick conversation with Mr. White?” Emily nodded towards the S.W.A.T. truck. 

“Feel free.” Gibbs knocked on the door. He waited a moment, allowing Fornell to open the door from the inside. 

He poked his head out, “yeah Gibbs, what is it?” 

“Agent Prentiss wants to have a conversation with Mr. White.” 

“Come on in, perhaps a change of personnel will get him to open up.” he gestured with his hand for her to enter the truck. She gingerly climbed inside, careful not to trip on the raised step of the doorway. Aidan was seated across from them, handcuffed to the metal bench. He glared silently across the makeshift table. As Emily entered, his facial expression changed from stony neutral to poorly concealed glee. 

“So they sent a woman to interrogate me,” the corners of his lips curled upwards, “a weakling like you can’t do shit except serve people like me.” He smirked. 

“And who is someone like you?” Emily asked, her voice silky smooth as she sat across from him. As much as she hated it, she knew the only way to get information out of him was to play his game. 

“Someone like me?” he chuckled, “I’m one of the strong, one of the chosen,” he glared out of the corner of his eye at Fornell, “I’d tell you more, pretty thing, but he’s here.” 

“Fornell, leave,” she put a stray piece of hair behind her ear, focusing all her attention on the man sitting across from her.  _ I have to make him think he’s tricked me. He needs to think I’ve fallen for him in some way. Stroking this twit’s ego is the only way I can get to him.  _

“Prentiss are you sure? I--” 

“Leave.” 

“Someone’s a little miss bossy, eh?” He leaned back against the metal wall, sighing as he allowed his muscles to relax. The blood from where Hotch had punched him had long since dried, and the skin around it had begun to go purple. His nose looked slightly bent, barely enough to be noticeable. 

Emily decided to go for a different approach, “oh, that looks painful,” she gestured towards Aidan’s nose and jaw. 

“Yeah it hurts a little,” he admitted. 

“Can I get you something for the pain? Maybe an ice pack?” Emily asked with faux sincerity. 

“Nah, I’m good,” he leaned forward, “so, pretty thing, tell me why I recognize you.”

_ What? How can he know who I am?  _ She thought, making sure to keep her face neutral, not allowing any of her surprise to show. “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. 

“I do,” he grinned, “know the bar, Flanagan’s, over on Westwood street?” 

“I think so,” she responded. 

“I used to moonlight there on weekends,” he flashed the same grin,  _ shit wait that’s the bartender from… _ Emily recognized that cocky grin. 

_ I have to play this to my advantage,  _ “aren’t you the really good looking bartender who used to work the late shift?” she flirtatiously flashed him a little smile, hoping her cheeks were flushed enough still from the ride over. 

“Yes I am,” he affirmed, “though I remember you turning me down when I asked you out.” 

“Oh, well, I was focused on someone else at the time,”  _ smooth Emily, smooth.  _

“I recall you told me you were a dike,” his lips twisted around the word, spitting it rather than actually saying it, “but then you went and kissed that guy from your team.” 

“Good memory,” Emily complimented, “I barely remember much of that night, but I sure was stupid to turn you down.”  _ Puke puke puke _ she thought, “and I do date women sometimes.”  

“Yeah, you definitely were stupid to.” He cockily relaxed against the metal wall of the truck, “I would have made you one of the stars of our game,” he chuckled a little to himself, grinning. 

“What game would that be?” Emily asked innocently. 

“Ah hell, I guess I can say, I mean you have the scoreboards anyways.” He raised his handcuffed hands and smoothed his hair. It didn’t do much good, the dried blood kept it in its matted and ruffled state. Emily thought his hair was blonde, but it was almost impossible to tell in the low light. She looked around, hoping to find a switch or something to give her some more light.  _ Aha! There.  _ Her fingers brushed against the wall and found a little lever. She flicked it, illuminating the whole room with bright, phosphorescent light. 

“Sweet lord that is bright!” Aidan brought his hands to cover his eyes. 

Emily squinted across the table until her eyes adjusted enough for her to see him clearly. His nose and jaw were a nasty purple and had swelled greatly. Blood trickled from his nostrils and the corner of his mouth; he did nothing to clean it away. His hair was tangled and matted with dried blood, it crusted on the tips, staining his blonde hair rust red. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything for those wounds, they look painful,” she changed the intonation of her voice, raising it a few steps, enough for her to sound more  _ feminine,  _ whatever that meant. 

“I’m fine.” he spat a mouthful of blood into the corner of the vehicle, “I was just going to tell you about our game.” 

“Yes,” finally, what she had been waiting for, “please continue.”

“Well, it started before my time, but some of the senior officers decided to start up a game they would play. At first, it was just for the officers and the perps, but then it began to involve others too. We would get points for giving the pieces of shit we would catch what they deserve. One day, Will volunteered the idea to include those in our lives who were hurting us. We agreed this would spice up the game some, so we added it in as well. At the end of every six month period, points were tallied up and the winner got free beers for the next six months, and the game would begin again. We needed photographic evidence for proof. Bruises were one point, cuts added point five, broken bones were three points, knockouts were four, and anything more serious than that was graded individually by the game leader, the person who won the last time. I was winning, then the car crash with your agent happened, and that put Will way ahead of all of us.” 

It took almost all of Emily’s self-control not to reach across the table and do god-knows-what to the man sitting across from her. She kept her face as straight as she could and asked her question with an even voice, “and you wanted me to join in?” 

“No,” he leaned forward, “I wanted you to join me, and hopefully I could get some more points from that. You see, it wasn’t just about just punishment anymore.” 

_ Just punishment, who does this lunatic think he is?  _ Emily thought angrily, “what else was it about?”  _ Don’t let him get to you, don’t let him get to you. _

“Well, if we could score a catch like you, we got a point multiplier of sorts,” he explained, staring intently across the table at Emily’s breasts. 

“Eyes up when you’re speaking to me,” she chastized, “what do you mean by that?” 

“I mean,” he chuckled, meeting her fierce gaze, “If we found someone who was extremely good looking, or someone who was not usually into men, and we managed to get them interested in us, our points would double for however long we had them.” 

“Thank you for this useful information,” she stood up from her seat on the opposite side of the table, “Fornell will deal with you now,” she pressed the pause button on the camera recording in the corner, “I hope you rot in whatever hole the judicial system decides to throw you in.” She slammed the door behind her. 

“Prentiss, that certainly took a long time,” Fornell drawled, “nothing gained?” 

“Actually,” Prentiss tossed the camera to him, “ I got pretty much everything. He doesn't know where the others are, but you’re gonna wanna watch that tape.” she straightened her jacket and made her way over to Gibbs, leaving Fornell where he stood, his mouth hanging open. 

“Prentiss, has Aaron contacted you?” Gibbs asked. 

“No, not since before I arrived, why?” She rechecked her phone, no messages from Hotch. 

“I saw him headed into the woods about thirty minutes ago, right after your call.” Gibbs pointed to the treeline on her right. 

“Why would he go in there?” Emily asked. 

“To clear his head, he wasn’t doing very well last I saw him.” Gibbs responded. 

“Alright, if I’m not back in forty minutes, come in after me?” she made up her mind, thirty minutes was too long for anyone to just clear their head, especially Aaron. “Can you tell my team to start with the profile once they get here? We need to make some headway.”  

“Okay, I’ll let them know.” Gibbs nodded, “Find him Emily,” his cobalt blue eyes bored into hers, “he needs you now.” 

“I will.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Emily interrogates Aidan, things get personal. Remember that random bartender? yeah, that's him. He explains the game, pretty much a system of points based on injuries inflicted on others. 
> 
> I don't know where my brain comes up with this stuff, really, I don't. It is extremely difficult for me to write it, I almost considered changing the storyline entirely, but I've come this far right? might as well finish it off.   
> some forward planning: I'm thinking this is going to be another 20-30 chapters if all goes according to plan. After this is done, I will start the prequel as well as fix the first 15 chapters of this. If the prequel goes well, I'm thinking 20- 30 chapters total for that, I will write a sequel or two to this one. 
> 
> That's all outta me tonight folks!


	21. Another One Bites The Dust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cackling in the distance* I'm on a roll!! Two chapters in one week! I figured I should give you two since Y'all have been putting up with my whacky posting schedule for the past few months. I'm gonna go back to posting every two weeks, maybe even go back to once a week, we shall see.  
> GET READYYYYY THIS CHAPTER more notes at the end  
> Love you all, comments and critiques are loved dearly
> 
> UPDATE/PS: if anyone is really good at writing summaries and would be willing to write a short one for this fic once it is complete I would be very grateful for the help since I suck at writing summaries, as you can see from the current story summary lol.

Emily walked and walked through the snow-blanketed woods. She had decided to leave her badge and sidearm with Gibbs since the woods seemed empty enough for her not to be worried. She found Aaron’s footsteps near the mouth of the forest and had been following them since. She found his coat draped across a fallen log near the edge of the path. It had begun to snow again, flurries of flakes whisked through the air. A small layer of them had begun to stick to Aaron’s jacket, soon his footsteps would be hidden as well.  _ I have to find him before that happens.  _ She thought.

Emily shivered as she walked, regretting not bringing her larger jacket. Instead, she tightened her scarf around her neck and chin. She took her hair out of its ponytail and let it curl around her ears. Losing feeling in her fingertips, Emily stuffed her hands into her pants pockets, hoping to gain some warmth from the thin fabric. 

There, in front of her was his tie. This did not look like it had been carefully taken off and placed, the way his jacket did. It was as though he had ripped it from his neck and discarded it as he was walking. She picked that up too and stuffed it in her pocket. Rather than just carry his jacket, she slipped it on. Though it was far too big for her, it added a little bit of warmth and protection from the wind.  _ If I’m cold, I wonder what Aaron must be feeling?  _ She shivered at the thought. 

At last, she came upon a fork in the path. His barely visible footsteps led to the left, so she followed them along, paying no attention to the set of fresh footsteps coming towards her from the path to the right, and veering off sharply at the fork. 

She came upon a small stream. She followed Aaron’s footsteps another few feet until they stopped abruptly, as though he had just vanished into the snow. Emily searched the area with her eyes, looking for some trace of him. There! Emily saw the curled up outline of Aaron, his knees pulled to his chest and his arms clasped over them. His body was not shivering, his chest did not look like it was rising and falling the way it usually would.  _ NO!  _ She thought, but she knew she had to stay calm, “Aaron?” she called softly, “Aaron, it’s me, Emily,” she jogged over to where he was in the snow.

Kneeling next to his head, she gently touched two fingers to his neck finding his pulse point.  _ Please don’t let him be dead, _ she thought desperately. The skin under his neck beat faintly, signaling his heart was still pumping blood through his body, meaning that,  _ thank god, he’s alive.  _

‘Aaron, can you hear me?” she slapped his cheek. 

“Unghhhh,” he groaned. 

“Aaron, okay good, can you sit up?” She patted his shoulder through his thin shirt, which, Emily realized, had frozen completely. Aaron didn’t budge. 

“Okay, I’m going to have to remove your shirt,” she almost laughed out loud at that, “I have you, Aaron, you’ll be okay soon. I promise,” she ripped the front of the shirt open with ease, brittle threads eagerly separating. Emily yanked hard and tugged the sleeves off, shards of ice sprinkled from the cloth and onto the melting snow beneath her. Now shirtless, she pulled Aaron’s upper half across her lap. She hastily unbuttoned Aaron’s suit jacket and tore it off of herself. With some difficulty, she managed to wrap it around his shoulders and slip his arms into the sleeves. 

His skin froze hers wherever they touched, his body was so cold she could barely lay a finger on him without her skin sending prickles of pain through her nerves, but she pressed on. Now that Aaron had his jacket, Emily hugged his torso to her body, lying down in the snow next to him and trying to warm every part of him she could hold. He groaned again, his chest rising and falling with greater vitality than it had been a few minutes before. 

“Emily?” he murmured, “it’s you?” 

“Aaron, thank god you’re alive,” Emily breathed a sigh of relief, “it’s me, Aaron what happened?” 

“I broke,” his breaths were strong enough to almost be considered normal, Emily didn’t dare leave his side, afraid that her warmth was the only thing keeping him from freezing again. She checked his pulse lightly, it was much stronger than it had been, she barely needed to touch her fingers to his skin for her to feel it. Emily was relieved he was recovering so quickly, she was worried that he might have become hypothermic, or worse. A killer is cold, and cold is a killer, as her CIA partner, who had lived mostly in Hawaii, had said to her on one occasion. 

“Do you think you can sit up?” Emily asked, gently brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes which were barely open. 

“I think so,” he cautiously placed his hand in the snow and pushed himself to a half sitting, half lying down position. 

“We have to get back to the others,” Emily checked her phone, no signal, “we don’t have cell service here, do you think you’ll be able to walk?” 

“Maybe,” he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she put her hand on top of his and gently pulled him to a more upright position. 

“Are you ready?” Emily’s voice wavered, she had stopped wearing her emotionless mask the minute she saw him lying there, forgetting everything as the fear she felt for him engulfed her. Even around Aaron, sometimes Emily would keep her walls up and refuse to let him in, he too would do it sometimes, but they had been working on being more open with each other. 

“You’re afraid,” Aaron rasped. 

Emily decided to tell the truth, it was Aaron, she couldn’t lie to him, “yes, I’m afraid.” 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice cracking, “I’m so sorry, Emily.” 

“We need to get back to the house, then we can take you to the hospital, or to NCIS. I heard their doc, Ducky, is good, maybe he can help you,” Emily needed to focus on the task at hand if she didn’t then she would lose focus and she could not afford to lose focus right now. “Stand on three?” 

“Yes,” he affirmed. 

“One,” Emily tightened her grip, “two,” she swung her legs around to a less awkward angle, “three,” she heaved with all her strength, her back straining from the effort of lifting a two hundred pound man to his feet. He leaned heavily on her for support, hugging her close to his body. He took a hesitant step forward, she matched his stride. They shuffled back through the forest until they reached the fork in the road. The snow had lightened cosiderably since Emily had started her search, enough for the multiple sets of recent footsteps to remain visible. 

“Those were not there before,” Emily stated, she followed the trail with her eyes, it led from the far side woods, across the paths, and to the trees nearer to them. 

“What wasn’t here before?” Hotch asked, winded. 

“The footsteps on the path, I see mine as well as four other sets leading into the trees,” She motioned to the trail in front with the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Aaron’s waist. She heard a twig crack behind them, the snow muted the noise, but it was loud and close enough for Emily to be able to hear. Her hand went instinctively to her hip feeling for her sidearm. She cursed under her breath when she remembered that she had left it behind when she started her search for Aaron. 

“Well boys, look who we just found,” Emily didn’t even have to turn around to know who that drawling voice belonged to. 

“William?” Just for clarification, she asked. Emily preyed in her head that it wasn’t him, that maybe it was a group of S.W.A.T. agents sent to pick them up and help them return to the crime scene. 

“Turn around, slowly, hands in the air,” he ordered. 

Emily carefully raised her free hand above her head, Aaron did the same next to her, but they kept their arms wrapped tightly around each other, “we’re unarmed,” she silently cursed herself for this being fact, “you can relax.” 

“We are armed,” Will pointed his shotgun straight at her face, “and I ain’t gonna fall for that profiler bullshit.” 

Emily changed the subject, hoping to delay for as long as possible. Gibbs would be looking for them soon, “who are your friends?” she nodded to the three other men standing next to Will holding various guns. 

“Introduce yourselves, boys, show your manners,” Will chuckled, “then search ‘em.” 

“I’m Stephen,” said the tallest of the quartet. He looked as though he was barely a day over eighteen, his face still held the childlike quality of one who had not yet reached full maturity. He was the only one of them with blond hair, which he had allowed to grow past his ears. It curled messily around his ears and face, combined with the peach fuzz stubble, he looked more like he should be carrying a surfboard than a Sig. 

The man standing next to him looked even younger, his round eyes and shaking hands white-knuckling the revolver he was clutching clued Emily into the fact that this was probably one of the first times he was holding a gun in a live situation, “Jack,” his voice quivered, he released one hand from his gun and wiped the back of it across his forehead where beads of sweat had begun to develop even though it was freezing outside. 

He had shaved the sides and back of his hair, leaving only a small patch on top among the closely cropped hairs. If Emily had to put it into modern terms, she would say his hair looked like an off-brand Macklemore of sorts.  His eyebrows were perfectly waxed, not a trace of stubble on his chin, the parts of his arms where the sleeve of his coat didn’t cover were hairless as well, the skin looked smooth and soft, he had to use creams of some sort.

He was clearly obsessed with his outward appearance, Emily would bet a good amount of money that he was wearing a concealer or foundation of some kind, no one’s face was that smooth.  _ Possible traces of narcissism, I can use this to my advantage.  _ Emily thought. 

“Will, can we get this show on the road, we need to be outta here soon,” The third man shifted uneasily from foot to foot. He had his rifle pointed in Emily and Aaron’s general direction, but by the way he was wobbling, Emily guessed that this man was probably intoxicated to a higher degree than what would be considered legal when firearms were involved. 

“So you must be Andrew Cunningham,” Emily remembered reading about him in the briefing Hotch had sent out. 

“How thehell d’youknow that?” he slurred. 

“I read your file.” She answered truthfully. 

“Jack, search them,” Will ordered. 

“Aaron,” she breathed, “phone, back pocket, send text, Garcia.” 

“What’d you say?” Will growled.

“I said,” Emily needed to think fast, “I said, I think Jack’s too scared to come over here and search us,” it wasn’t a total lie, Jack was dragging his feet, trudging through the snow at a much slower pace than he could be going. He eyed her warily, stopping a short distance from her and Aaron. 

“He ain’t scared,” Will drawled, “ain’t that right, Jackie boy?” 

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered. 

“Done,” Hotch breathed, he dropped the phone into the snow behind them. 

“So go search ‘em,” Will encouraged, pointing with the muzzle of his rifle for emphasis. 

The young man hesitantly walked forward. He holstered his weapon in the back of his pants and hastily patted his hands along Emily’s arms and sides, then up and down her legs. He did the same to Hotch. When he was through, he backed away from the two of them, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste. 

“What are you so afraid of?” Emily taunted, hoping to drive the group apart by picking on the weakest link, “we’re the ones who are less likely to hurt you.” 

“Wh-what do you mean?” his eyes flashed wildly as he staggered back. 

“Well, if things get bad, your ‘friends are going to turn on you, probably kill you to save themselves if they have to, but we won’t,” Emily knew how it went down in groups like this, the strongest survived and the weakest ones were almost always killed. 

“Th-that’s not true,” he stammered uncertainly.

Emily knew she had him now, “yeah it is, I’ve seen it happen many times before,” she decided she would throw in a little white lie to move things along, “What do you think happened to the White brothers?” 

“Don’t listen to her Jackie, she’s lyin’ to you,” Will commanded, “shut up, dike, no one wants to hear what you have to say.”

“What happened to the white brothers?” Jack asked. He stepped away from Will and the other two, sidestepping along the side of the path.

Emily knew it was dangerous, but she pressed on, “Well, Will here sent them into a trap and they got captured, one of your friends is dead, I saw Aidan for myself, he’s not too far away from sharing the same fate,” Emily embellished a little, hopefully, it was enough to convince him to run off. 

“Is-is it true?” His voice cracked on the last word. His legs shook and his grip on his gun was far more unsteady than it had been before. 

“Jackie boy, she’s lying to you, Aidan is fine, he just called an hour ago,” Will tried to soothe the panicked boy. 

“Hah,” Emily responded, “no he isn’t, S.W.A.T. has him in the back of the truck, he squealed like a rat once I had a conversation with him, couldn’t even tell what his face looked like it was so beaten up,” give it half a minute and he would run off, Emily silently bet. 

“I-I can’t do this, guys, I’m getting out, I’m sorry I-I can’t,” he whipped around and bolted down the path from where they had come. 

“Oy! Jack! Get your ass back here!” Will shouted after him, but it was no use, the boy had disappeared into the snow. 

_ One down, three to go,  _ Emily counted silently. She felt the weight on her shoulders release, Aaron was standing fully on his own now, it appeared that he had recuperated enough to no longer need her support. Even still, he kept his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulder. 

Will and the others were busy for the moment shouting after their lost comrade, so Aaron took a chance and whispered to Emily, “I’m sorry I got us into this,” he squeezed her shoulder, “I love you, and whatever happens, we stick together.” 

Emily leaned into his embrace, “I understand Aaron, it’s okay, I love you too,” she sighed, “I think I know how we might be able to escape.” 

Aaron glanced down at her, “tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” 

“When I give you the signal, I need you to pretend to faint or have a heart attack, something to distract them. When you do, I’ll go for the drunk one’s gun. Hopefully, you can take out one of the other two as well, then we are just left with the last one, whomever that may be.” Deep down, Emily was hoping it would be Will, she wanted to put a bullet in his brain more than anything else right now. 

“Got it,” Hotch whispered. 

“Andrew, cuff those two and let’s get a move on, feds will be here soon,” Will ordered. 

“Yezzzzsir,” he gargled and spat as he plodded over to where they were standing. 

“Now,” Emily stepped on Aaron’s foot. 

“Unghhh, Aaron groaned. He released her shoulders and fell to the ground clutching his chest. 

“Oh my god!” Emily feigned surprise, “help him, please, help him!” She knelt by his head, “do something!” Stephen looked hesitantly at Will, silently asking for permission to help.

“Go on, he’s no use to us dead,” Will motioned with the muzzle of his gun for Stephen to go take a look at Aaron. Andrew stayed where he stood, staring into space, within arm’s reach of Emily. 

Stephen knelt next to Emily and carefully placed his fingers on Aaron’s neck. With lightning speed, Aaron reached up and hooked his elbow around Stephen’s neck. He pulled him to his body and rolled to his back, using him as a human shield. Stephen clawed uselessly at Aaron’s arm, the gun dropped from his grasp, right into Aaron’s waiting palm. He cocked the gun and placed the barrel right next to Stephen’s head. “Don’t even try,” he growled. 

Emily took this as her cue to take down Andrew. She lunged for his legs, dropping him to the ground successfully. He scrambled to get a grip on his gun, but she yanked it out of his hands by the barrel before he could get a proper grip on the trigger. She loaded the weapon and pointed it in his face, clamping her legs down around his in an effort to keep him grounded. 

“Damn, you feel good,” he slurred. 

“Shut it,” Emily pointed the nose of the gun threateningly in his face. 

He reached a hand down to touch her leg, “if you so much as lay a finger on my fiancee, I will personally break every one of your fingers,” Aaron growled. Andrew retracted his hand. 

“Alright Will,” Emily glared at him, he stood ten feet away from her, gun swinging wildly between her and Aaron, he was unsure of who to point it at, “drop the gun or we kill your friends here.” 

“Fine,” he committed to a decision, “kill em’, I’m outta here. You make a move to follow me, I’ll pump you full of lead,” he spun on his heel and ran straight into none other than agent Morgan.

“William LaMontagne Jr.,” Morgan ripped the gun out of Will’s hands and spun him around, “you have the right to remain silent,” Will struggled against Morgan, attempting to headbutt him and break free. Morgan easily dodged and twisted Will’s arm behind his back until he squealed. He slapped the handcuffs on his wrists, “anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law…” 

“Emily, don’t worry, we got him,” Rossi murmured behind her. She stood up and brushed herself off, lowering the gun to her side. 

“Alright scumbag, it’s time you and I had a little chat,” Rossi yanked the man up and cuffed his hands behind his back. Andrew almost fell back to the ground, Rossi had to bodily drag him away. 

“Emily,” She felt his presence before he said her name, Aaron gently hugged her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her close. She breathed a sigh of relief and allowed herself to sink into his embrace. 

“We made it Aaron, we’re okay,” She breathed in his scent, reveling in the familiarity of it. She had him back, he was safe, they both were. 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOOM  
> that's not all! the next chapter is gonna be the interrogation of Will and hot damn I've started the outline already and its lookin good!!!  
> Catch ya later!
> 
> Jcat06172


	22. The Second Shoe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies! A longer chapter for you since the wait was so long. I've been dying to get this up!! WARNING! PLOT TWIST INCOMING  
> Man, this chapter was fun to write. Once again, I threw my outline out the window (not literally) and freestyled it all the way through. It follows the main story plan, of course, but it just adds some more than what was there before. this is set up to another big reveal incoming next chapter. Don't worry, I will put some fluff in sometime soon to lighten the mood.  
> I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone, this has reached 50 kudos, and that has given me even more motivation than before to keep writing! Your comments and criticisms really help make me a better writer, and improve the content of this story!  
> Sometime, probably over the winter holidays, I'm going to start going through the first chapters and giving them a massive overhaul. Once that is done, I will let you know when I update those chapters, probably around spring/ summer.  
> Shoutout to Crazynumnums for their comment, because of it, I have decided to post this a few days early!! 
> 
> Enjoy!

*Three days later* 

“Look William,” Aaron had enough of this arrogant bastard to last at least two life times. He slammed his hand down on the metal table, the impact made the legs wobble slightly, the manilla files shivered enough for it to be visible from behind the one way glass. Will did not jump from the noise it made, he did not blink, he did not even twitch. “You can make this easy for yourself and cooperate, this process will be over. If you don’t, we’re going to be having many more of these conversations.” 

Will stayed in the same position he had been in for the past three days save a bathroom break or two. Otherwise, Will had been sitting with his back straight to the chair, his hands resting, handcuffed to the underside of the table, in his lap, eyes staring into the glass mirror. Hotch circled behind him, his fingers curled around the back of the chair threateningly.  

Will’s complexion had deteriorated since he arrived from the lack of sleep. They had offered for him to go to the holding cell to sleep, it was required by the FBI protocols, but he did not even acknowledge them. He had stated his only demand the minute he arrived in the room, “I want to talk to Jennifer.” 

Of course, this could not happen. The team, minus JJ and Reid, had come to a unanimous decision not to allow this to happen. Hotch would have been happier if they could have kept JJ out of the observation room, but she had all but bowled over the officer assigned to keep her out on the first day. They ended up deciding she could stay, seeing as Will hadn’t been saying much anyways. 

Hotch knew that Will knew JJ was there. It didn’t matter really that the mirror was one way, somehow Will knew. So far, Hotch was the only one to talk to him. He didn’t want to involve the other team members yet. Besides, they were very busy with the others. Chip Anders was confirmed dead, he was being autopsied by Ducky. 

Stephen Dane was still in interrogation with Ziva and Emily. While he was not as quiet or unresponsive as Will, he was still giving the two of them a hard time, hence the reason why they were double teaming. Emily had gotten everything she needed from Aidan in a matter of minutes. He really wasn’t very good at being secretive. He was sent into processing only a few hours after his arrival at NCIS headquarters. Emily joined Ziva once she knew Aidan was securely in the hands of the FBI and marshals. 

They were still working out of NCIS. It was just easier. The forensic team here was far superior to the one at the FBI, partially because their caseload was much smaller so they could get results faster, but it was more so that the people who worked in those departments were the very best in their fields. 

Garcia had pretty much moved into Abby’s lab with McGee, the two of them had been working in shifts, gathering all the evidence they could from the perp’s computers, emails, social media, even the CCTV footage of where they had been at x time. According to Garcia, there was absolutely no way any of them could get away with this, no way. 

Meanwhile, Abby had been making speedy headway through the mountain of forensic evidence. At this point, Hotch was certain she was running soley on Caf-Pow, the pile of empty cups had grown too large for the bin, they were collecting in a neat pile on the floor around it. To be fair, it was a small trash can, but still, she needed to sleep sometime soon or else things were going to get hairy.  

Rossi and DiNozzo took on Andrew Cunningham, who, when he was sober, was quite a formidable opponent. The two of them worked tirelessly to break him, but they were having little luck. He had given a statement, admitting to the crimes he had committed, but he was refusing to give up who else knew about their ‘game.’ The team knew that there was someone on the inside, or else Will would not have known to leave his headquarters when Aaron and Jethro had stormed it. 

Damien White was another easy one at first, but he also refused to give up who else knew, he was stewing in an empty interrogation room, the team had unanimously decided to play the waiting game with him.

Morgan and Gibbs were having the same problem with Christian Given that the others were having with Damien White and Andrew Cunningham. They knew that once one of them broke, the others would probably as well, once they realized the others had given up too. 

Jack Flint was still MIA, Fornell and his team were on it, but they still had made no progress. It seemed that the boy had simply vanished into thin air. They could not even find a trace of his footsteps in the snowy woods. 

Aaron gingerly leaned against the metal wall. He hated being kept in a box, even though he knew that he wasn’t the prisoner here, or did he? As much as he hated to admit it, Will was in more control of this than he was. It had been three days and the only demand Will had made was to talk to JJ, the man had barely moved since. And the expression on his face, he didn’t look defeated, he looked, Aaron didn’t know how else to say it, as much as he hated to admit this, the man actually looked pleased. 

A sharp rap on the door broke the uneasy silence. Hotch crossed the room in two strides, he opened the door a smidge, “I’m in the middle of an interrogation, is it urgent?” 

“Yes,” responded section chief Strauss, “it is urgent.”  
Aaron opened the door wide enough for him to slip outside. He pulled it closed behind him. “Yes, ma’am?”

“We are having Will transferred to the FBI, the others can stay here for interrogation, but he is to be separated from the rest,” Strauss adjusted the folders she was holding in her left hand, “because he assaulted an FBI agent there are different protocols which must be followed.” 

“With all due respect ma’am, I don’t think that’s a--” 

“He leaves in an hour,” she spun on her heel, refusing to allow Aaron a chance to disagree with her. 

“Chief Strauss!” Aaron called after her, jogging to catch up. 

“What is it, Agent Hotchner?” She sighed.  
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to move him just yet,” Aaron stated. 

“In this case, I am inclined to agree with you, but these orders are coming from well above my pay grade.” 

“What interest would the deputy director have in this?” Hotch wondered. 

“An FBI agent was intimately involved with LaMontagne Jr, they don’t want this to be used against the FBI in any way. They think it would better if the FBI and only the FBI handled him,” she sped up her walking pace, “now if you don’t mind, I have a meeting with the NCIS director.” 

Aaron stopped in his tracks. Will was leaving in an hour, to be interrogated by some FBI goons the deputy director thought would do a better job than his team, all for the sake of a cover-up. What did they think would happen? That NCIS would leak it to the press? He knew they wouldn’t, Hotch had known Aaron for a much longer time than either of them were free to say. Gibbs would not allow his team to leak anything. 

Once the transfer happened, Hotch decided, he would see what he could do to keep his team as the lead on this case. Right now though, he wanted to go see how Emily and Ziva were doing. They were working in interrogation 4, two doors down from him. He ducked into the observation room, closing the door softly behind him. 

“We know that you know more than what you’re telling us,” Ziva stated. She prowled threateningly behind him. 

Emily leaned uneasily against the back wall, “make it easier for yourself and tell us what you know, a plea deal is not an outrageous request.” she really was a smooth talker, Hotch thought. He could see the gears turning in Stephen’s mind. Emily was taking the sympathetic, good cop approach, “we saw how you tried to help Agent Hotchner in the woods when he was hurt. You aren’t a bad, person, you had the worst score, consistently, we know you don’t want to hurt people, so why did you choose to go down that road?” They got him there. 

“I-” he stuttered, “I didn’t want to,” he hung his head in defeat. 

“Please, elaborate,” Emily twitched her eyelid in a subtle sign to Ziva. Instantly, the other woman stopped her intimidating patrol and followed Emily to the other side of the table. The two of them sat down as one, their movements so fluid and coordinated that Hotch knew this could not have been the first time they had done this. He made a quick mental note to ask her about that later. 

“Will told me that if I didn’t join, I wouldn’t be accepted by the others, that they would shun me because I refused an invite to their club, something most officers only dreamed about having. I joined, but I did the least amount of damage possible. I wanted to be an EMT, but I failed the entrance exam. I was gonna apply again this year, but I guess now that’s impossible…” his voice broke, “I’m sorry for everything I did,” he sobbed, bringing his hands up to cover his face, “I deserve whatever punishment is given to me.” 

Huh. Hotch thought. This guy really wasn’t faking it. No one was  _ that  _ good at fake crying. He observed the sobs wracking the man’s body, tears he was trying to choke back, but they were too powerful. Aaron saw him visibly give up trying to restrain them, his body sagged even more than it had been, he put his head down on the table, covering it with his arms. “They’ll kill me if they find out I ratted,” he hiccuped. 

Emily and Ziva exchanged triumphant glances.

Emily grinned,  “not to worry,”

Ziva cut in, “We will talk to the ED,”  

Emily facepalmed, “she means the DA,”

Ziva nodded a quick thanks, “and perhaps he will give you a lighter sentence, maybe you can still be an ET.” 

Emily facepalmed again, “EMT. The transfer agents will be with you soon.” The two of them stood and exited the interrogation room, leaving Stephen to his tears. Aaron exited the observation room just as the two of them stepped into the hall. 

“Another win for team Zimily!” Emily grinned, she put her hand in the air. Ziva slapped it, the two giggled happily. They hugged briefly. Hotch rarely saw Emily act like this with the team, but with someone who was a complete stranger? Hotch needed to know more. 

“Nice work you two, seems like you’ve done this before,” he knew Emily would see the second meaning behind the question. 

“Perhaps we have, in another life,” she and Ziva exchanged a knowing glance. 

“Do you even know what an ET is?” Emily asked, the mood turning back to lighthearted after a moment of seriousness. 

“The emergency technicians?” Ziva answered. 

“No, an ET is an extraterrestrial, an EMT is an emergency medical technician,” Emily corrected. 

“Oh, I was wondering why DiNozzo was making weird hand gestures and saying “go home” in an odd voice the last time I said that,” she smiled fondly, “probably a movie reference?” 

“Yes,” Emily answered, “a movie about an alien who wanted to go home.” 

“Makes sense,” Ziva smiled, “now, would you be so kind as to formally introduce me to your fiancee?”  

“Right!” Emily rushed to Aaron’s side, “Ziva, this is Aaron, my fiancee. Aaron, this is Ziva, one of my best friends.” 

“Glad to meet officially,” he shook her hand firmly. 

“Congrats, both of you,” Ziva smiled, hugging Emily again. 

“I hate to spoil the mood, but I have some news about Will,” Hotch changed the subject. 

“What’s going on?” Emily asked. 

“He’s being transferred to FBI headquarters, against my advice. Orders from above.” 

“Strauss?” Emily growled. 

“Deputy director,” Hotch amended, “for once, Strauss was on our side.” 

“I’m going to go check on the others, Emily, Ziva, take some time for yourselves, you’ve earned it,” he hurried down the corridor, nodding goodbye to them as he passed. 

***

JJ was angry. She was really fucking angry. During the case, before Will was caught, she had been scared, she wasn’t ashamed to admit that. But now he was caught, he was sitting in that damn room looking so cocky, so defiant. She wanted to just punch his lights out. 

Her fists clenched, almost unconsciously, almost. If she could just reach through the glass and-- 

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the interrogation technician cautioned, “I’m gonna have to ask you to step away from the glass.” 

“Right,” JJ hurriedly stepped back, “sorry.” 

She watched the two officers in the room with Will uncuff him and pull him to his feet. “Buh-bye Jenny,” his voice echoed through the speaker, he grinned devilishly, bringing his hands up just a smidge in a small wave. 

White cut through her vision like a knife, she didn’t think, just rushed as fast as she could at the glass in front of her. She was inches away when two hands forcefully gripped her shoulders and pulled her back, restraining her, keeping her from wrapping her hands around Will’s thr--

“JJ!” someone shook her shoulders, they spun her with ease so she was facing him and not the interrogation room. 

Her vision cleared, her muscles relaxed, her body slumped into the person behind her, “Hotch?” 

“JJ, what was that?” Hotch asked worried, he didn’t release her shoulders. 

“I just got so angry…” she sighed as all the fight which had been in her a moment before drained away as her breathing evened. 

“It’s alright JJ, I understand,” he tentatively let go of her, “promise me you won’t try to do that again?” 

He wanted her to promise not to harm the man who had spent months torturing her. To give him her word she wouldn’t, “fine,” she rasped through gritted teeth. 

“Thank you, JJ.” Hotch took a deep, steadying breath in, “Will is being transferred to FBI headquarters, we will continue his portion of the investigation there.”  
“Why?” JJ wondered.

“Orders from the deputy director,” Hotch felt like he had said that too many times today. 

“Oh,” she looked away. 

“JJ,” Hotch said softly, “I’m ordering you to take some personal time.” 

“No! Hotch I--” 

He silenced her with a glare, “I’m not asking. Take some personal time, regroup, spend some time with Reid, he needs you more than we do right now.” 

“But I can’t, I need to--” 

“He needs you more,” he knew it sounded corny, but right now, he was willing to try anything to get her to just take some time off. She wasn’t helping anyone, least of all herself, by staying. He hoped that spending some time with Reid would help them both to heal. 

“Okay, sir,” JJ nodded. 

“Thank you, JJ, ” Hotch breathed in deeply, he was glad he had convinced her to take some personal time, if anyone needed it, it was her. He leaned against the glass, shutting his eyes and taking a moment to center himself. 

“Excuse me, sir,” an annoyingly high pitched male voice cut into his peaceful silence, “I’m gonna have to ask you to step away from the glass.” 

Hotch had not even noticed the man sitting at the desk on his right, “right, thank you,” he exited through the door which JJ had left open behind her. 

“Aaron?” Gibbs beckoned. 

Hotch turned down the hall towards his voice, he walked quickly down the hallway, “Yes, Jethro?” 

“Agent Morgan is still in interrogation with Given, we have made no headway with him,” Gibbs, while he sounded emotionless to strangers, gave subtle tells one could see and pick up if they had known him long enough to call him a friend, or if they were an experienced profiler, in this case, Hotch was both. He noticed the tenseness of his shoulders, as well as his frown, which was deeper than usual. 

“What else is bothering you?” Aaron asked. 

“I think the transfer is a bad idea,” he answered. 

“Why?” he wondered, “I think it is as well, but I want your take on it.” 

“I don’t know yet, but I think it has something to do with what they aren’t telling us.” He confirmed Hotch’s suspicions.

“How can you tell?” Hotch knew the answer before Gibbs even said a word. 

“My gut.” 

The phone in his pocket vibrated urgently, he reached down and picked it up, Strauss again, “Yes ma’am?”  

“Hotchner, it’s the transport,” her breathing was ragged, she sounded winded, like she had just been running. 

“Yes,” he checked his watch, “it should have arrived by now.” 

“Well, it didn’t,” Strauss said gruffly. Her voice sounded like it was coming from both the phone and… Hotch turned around to see the section chief standing a few feet behind him, phone clutched in her right hand. She ran her left hand through her tousled hair, no doubt from the run down here, “Will has escaped.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILER ALERT(sort of): Who do you think is going to be the new character introduced in the next chapter? comment below! By new, I mean a character from CM who we have not yet seen. 
> 
> Love y'all!!!


	23. Paths Crossed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! Another chapter for you all, I managed to finish it much faster than I thought I would, so yay! I'm going to put most of my notes at the end of the chapter because I don't want to spoil things, but I just want to say that the views of the characters are not necessarily the views and opinions of the author. to put it simply: will is a homophobic sexist racist shit and that is not in any way who I am, however, he is, so his thoughts reflect that in this chapter. I thought I should just point that out beforehand.   
> alright, see the end for more notes.   
> love you all, thanks for the fantastic support!

Will smiled as he walked through the halls of NCIS with his double police officer escort, no, he didn’t smile, he grinned. He was happier than he had been in ages. Jennifer, he knew she was behind the glass, he knew it. The whole time, his grin had been for her to see, not that oaf Aaron Hotchner, not the cameras, for her. 

He knew how much she loved it when he smiled, she told him so, once. She missed him, her handprint on the glass, he knew it was her handprint, she knew she made the wrong choice. Agent Geek couldn’t satisfy her the way he could, that was for sure. And yeah, she said she didn’t like his rough play, but he knew that was a lie. He knew she secretly enjoyed it, but if she told him so, then it would lose its fun. 

Lefty and Righty, as he named his escorts, would understand. They were stuck in the system like so many, forced to bend to the wills of their superiors. No one wants that, no one. Least of all people like them. They were strong men, WIll could see that they didn’t deserve to be treated like this, like drones. A shame they couldn’t see that. 

These handcuffs were not permanent, the escort would vanish, he knew it would. No one could keep him behind bars, no one. Sure, many have tried, but the charges never stuck, and being a policeman himself, he was able to sweep them away like dust, because that was all they were. Missing cotton fiber here lost DNA there, it didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. His plan. 

The car was waiting for him, a familiar face at the wheel of the police cruiser, “alright Feds, I can take him from here,” his police chief said through the open window. 

“Our orders are to go with him to the FBI,” responded Lefty. 

“Your orders have changed,” Will almost laughed out loud, he had almost forgotten how much of a smooth talker Chief was, “I got permission from your deputy director to escort him myself. It’s the least I can do after all the damage he caused.” 

Was that a wink? Will was sure that Chief winked at him out of the corner of his eye. Chief was going to free him, as they had initially planned, as long as Will didn’t give him up. That was the only rule. And Will had made sure that he didn’t. Chief was free, and now he was too. 

“Can I see some proof?” asked Righty. 

“Of course,” Chief showed him something on his phone. 

“Alright, he’s all yours,” Righty motioned for Lefty to put Will in the back. Lefty opened the door for him, how kind, and motioned for Will to get in. He did, after all, this was his ticket to freedom, little did they know. The car sped away the second the door closed. 

“What the hell were you thinking, trying to take on Agent Prentiss and Agent Hotchner? I specifically told you to avoid them at all costs,” Chief chastised. 

“I wanted to take out Prentiss, besides, we had double the manpower that they did,” WIll explained. It was understandable for him to want to remove Prentiss from the picture right? Jenny could not be distracted by her former lover, even if Will knew she wouldn’t be, he wanted to remove any trace of her… perversion. Women and women cannot be lovers, nor could men and men, it just doesn’t work that way, not at all. He almost shook his head disapprovingly at the thought. 

“You had double the manpower, and yet they still managed to take out three of your men without firing a shot,” he rolled his eyes, “next time, just listen to me. Don’t go after Hotchner or Prentiss.” 

“Fine,” WIll sat back against the seat. 

“I’m serious, if you do something like this again, I won’t be able to help you,” Chief switched lanes, gassing past the truck which he had been stuck behind a moment earlier. 

“I get it, you have my word,” Will promised, “so where are you gonna let me out?” 

“The spot is another mile or two away, sit tight.” 

Will stared out the window, watching the cars blur as they sped past them. For a moment, he felt a pang of reminiscence, a seemingly harmless memory of the time he spent as a kid driving with his dad across Lousiana. He remembered the same blurry colors, the same chemical smell of freshly cleaned car, though the place he was driving to with his father was far worse than any prison cell, at least it was to Will. Times had always been tough in his family for as long as he could remember, but his father’s use of alcohol to forget never helped the matter. 

In fact, if Will really thought about it, the liquor was the real problem, not the money. Then again, why did it matter? He was tougher because of it, he didn’t need to analyze it like some pussy profiler. 

“We’re here,” the car slowed and swapped into the far right lane. Chief flicked the blinker and they pulled into the rotary, following it through to the country road it led to. “I’m going to crash the car into a tree, the story is, you ambushed me and I lost control of the car, clear?” 

“Crystal,” Will nodded, though it was more of a shake of his head meant to toss away the memories which were threatening to burst past their carefully constructed barrier. But Chief didn’t need to know that. 

“Here goes,” Chief tossed the handcuff key to Will and then swerved off the road, gassing the pedal and hitting the brake at the same time to leave skid marks behind. Once the car left the road, he slammed the brakes hard, but the car still had enough momentum to hurtle into the trees. Will opened the door and managed to jump out a second before the collision. 

The nose of the car wrapped itself around the trunk of a particularly sturdy oak tree, it creaked from the force of the crash, making a low croaking noise similar to the sound of a rusty hinge, but it stayed standing. The airbags exploded, popping out of the dashboard and steering wheel, blowing right into Chief’s face. Will thought the hit probably knocked him unconscious, he was going to have a nasty nosebleed.

Unfortunately, Will couldn’t stick around to help, he had to get out of here as quickly as possible. Handcuffs discarded, he pulled himself out of the ditch using protruding rocks and roots as handholds and footholds. 

He waited by the side of the road for a car to come by. This was a relatively deserted road, so Will decided to start walking in the direction he wanted to go and wait for a car to drive by. Hopefully, the driver would be kind enough to give him a lift. 

Luck seemed to be on his side, a white sedan slowed down at the sight of his hailing hand. “Need a ride?” asked the driver through the open window. 

“Yeah actually if you wouldn’t mind,” Will smiled his most charming smile, hoping that would be enough to convince the girl in the driver’s seat that he was safe. 

“Hop in,” she unlocked the door. _ Another win for the charming smile, _ he thought. She motioned for him to get into the car, “where you headed?” 

“20 miles northeast on this road. A little town called Derry, Maryland,” that should be far enough, for now, Will could regroup there, get his hands on a vehicle, a new name, some money and he would be gone. 

“That’s quite a coincidence,” the girl smiled, “I’m headed right through there.” 

She couldn’t be more than 18, Will realized. He noticed the student ID hanging from her mirror indicating she was a student at Georgetown. Her face had not yet grown out of the softness of the teenaged years, her eyes were too round, too bright to belong to a fully fledged adult, there was not even a shadow beneath them, she’s had an easy go of things so far. Still, he decided to ask anyway, “are you a student in the area?” 

She tittered, “yes actually, it’s my first year at Georgetown.” 

“Congratulations,” he said smoothly, “what’s your name?”

“It’s Allie, Allie Clarke,” her accent sounded far too familiar, “yours?”  

“William LaMontagne,” he answered, “where are you from?” 

“I was born in Mississippi, but I moved to NOLA when I was nine,” she smiled, “I recognize your accent, you a southerner too?” 

“Damn right,” he responded enthusiastically, “I’m from NOLA.” 

“Aww yeah!” she giggled, “how did you end up so far north?” 

“I’m a police officer, I moved up here to be with my girlfriend,” he explained. 

“Is she living in Derry?” 

“No, she lives in the city I’m just,” he needed to think fast, “I’m just visiting a friend.” 

“Very nice,” the car slowed as it neared the small town sign, “well, this is you!” 

“Thank you very much for the ride,” he opened the door and stepped out, “have a safe trip!” 

“Thank you! Bye now!” she waved out the open window. 

“Bye!” he waved back. Will glanced around his surroundings looking for some kind of inn or motel. The first sign he saw was about a hundred yards ahead of him. It was for Irene’s Inn and Tavern, and, lucky for Will, the sign below was lit green, indicating vacancy. 

He walked quickly along the snow-dusted road, wrapping his arms around his stomach for warmth. The door was open and the sounds of boisterous laughter and raucous conversation spilled out into the otherwise quiet night. He ducked inside, pulling the door closed behind him. 

“William LaMontagne?” Oh shit, he had been caught, they were on to him he was so screwed, he needed to escape. He turned as if to exit the way he came but a beefy hand placed on his shoulder stopped him, “you’re late.” 

This man was not law enforcement, Will realized that. after surveying the man in front of him. Definitely security, probably a gun for hire. Still, he was massive, well over 6 feet, easily past 300 pounds, and his ginger beard would rival any orange for vibrancy. “Your room is upstairs, third on the left. Be back down here in five minutes, no later,” he tossed a key at Will, which he barely managed to snatch out of the air before it dropped. 

“Who the hell are you?” Will growled, he wasn’t going anywhere if he didn’t know who he was dealing with. 

“Someone who you really do not want to piss off,” the man growled back, Upstairs. Now.” he shoved him hard in the direction of the stairwell. Will had no choice but to follow his instruction, the man was blocking the door and now the bottom of the stairs. He hesitantly made his way up and through the hallway to the third door on the left, number seven. 

The key twisted easily in the lock, Will didn’t even have to push for the door to swing inwards, revealing a quaint, comfortable little room. On the bed was a plain suitcase, full by the looks of it. He checked the small bathroom, finding a sink, shower, and toilet. An unopened toothbrush and toothpaste sat on the counter near the basin. 

He opened the top of the toothpaste capsule and squeezed some of it on to the brush. The brand was his favorite, he wondered if it was just blind coincidence or if they had somehow found out this intimate detail about his personal life. If it was the latter, how had they figured this out? The minty freshness filled his mouth, white foamy bubbles forming as he brushed back and forth, around the insides and outsides, then he spat, and washed the bristles. 

One minute until he had to be downstairs. He didn’t want to anger the man downstairs, he hastily shut the hotel room door behind him and jogged down to the bar area. The man was waiting for him just inside the room, though it was fairly crowded, Will could see him easily because of his great size. 

“This way,” he pointed with his meaty hand, “he’s waiting for you in the second booth.” 

“Who is?” Will asked indignantly, “I’m tired of these games.” 

“It’s up to him to decide if he tells you that or not. Go. Now,” he clapped Will hard on the back, sending him sprawling in the direction of where he had been pointing. Will barely managed to catch himself, extending his arm to grab a nearby chair to steady himself. He walked on, weaving his way between waiters and customers until he reached the second booth. 

The light was much dimmer here than it had been in the central part of the pub, the noise level was also much lower. He could only see that the far bench of the booth was occupied, but by who, he could not say. He slid onto the near side bench, facing the man sitting on the other side. 

Now he was closer, he could see the face of the man. Crows feet radiated out from his pale blue eyes. He had a five o clock shadow dusting his jaw, flecks of grey weaved through his cropped short hair. On his right wrist, he had the tattoo of a simplified four-leaved clover. He was oddly familiar, Will felt like he had seen this man before somewhere.

“Who are you and why are you helping me?” Will demanded, he needed to know what the hell was going on. 

“Well, you and I have… shared interests,” his voice had a thick unmistakeably Irish ring to it, the way he said his ‘r’s implied time spent in the northeast of the United States. He stored this information away, it could be useful later. 

“Yes, and what might those interests be?” Will probed.

“What do you know of a woman named Lauren Reynolds?” his lips curled around the name,  as though it was a curse. 

“I don’t,” he answered honestly. 

“Let me try again,” he pulled out a small photo. A much younger version of himself was pictured standing next to none other than Emily Prentiss. He had his arm around her shoulder, his eyes gazed into hers, a contented grin played across his features. Her own expression was very similar, she smiled widely, oblivious, it seemed, to the world around her and the photographer taking the photo. 

“What are you talking about?” Will frowned, pointing to the photo, “that’s Emily Prentiss.” 

“You can confirm her name is Emily Prentiss?” The man asked urgently.

“Yeah, she dated my girlfriend a while back, fucking cunt is the reason I was caught in the first place.,” he growled. 

“Your girlfriend being Jennifer Jareau?” It sounded like he already knew the answer to his question. 

“Yes, that’s her,” he confirmed. 

“Well you see,” the man explained, “I have an interest in Emily Prentiss, and you in Jennifer Jareau,” he paused, “I believe that if we work together, we can both achieve what we have in mind.”

“Well, if we are going to work together,” Will responded, “I want to know who it is I’m working with.” 

“My name is Ian,” he leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table, “Ian Doyle.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how I said Ian Doyle was coming into this at some point? Here he is, and the next part of the story is beginning. For this story, Ian Doyle is pretty much going to be all AU, much in the way Will became his own divergent character from the original Will of CM. 
> 
> expect another chapter next week sometime.   
> oh, also, if anyone is willing to come up with a new title for this story, the one I chose was super rushed because I could not think of anything else, I would be very grateful.


	24. Trust In Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ERMYGERD okay I am so sorry, this was supposed to be up weeks ago!!! I was going to post before I left for the land of no internet but I was unable to because of terrible airport wifi, I am so sorry, that is my fault. I hate to leave you guys on a cliffhanger for so long. I have another chapter I am posting after this one, either tomorrow or the day after that will be super fluffy for you all. I feel so sorry for the team, they need some light holiday spirit. Fortunately, I have some cuteness planned for them!  
> Let me know what you think about the addition of Doyle in the comments!  
> The title is a reference to the Jungle Book!

“I’m sorry, Hotch did I hear you correctly? Will escaped?” Rossi raised an eyebrow, “I’m assuming this isn’t just a sick joke you’re pulling for your amusement?” 

“Come on Dave, you know me better than that,” Hotch frowned. 

Dave nodded, “you’re right, I know you far too well for that to have been more than just very wishful thinking,” he poured himself a new cup of coffee from the freshly brewed pot in front of him, “does the team know? Does JJ?” 

Hotch took the pot from Rossi and filled his mug, “not yet, I wanted to tell you first.” he sighed, “On top of that, the deputy director is ordering us off this case, says that NCIS and the other FBI teams can handle it from here.” 

“Oh I see,” Rossi splashed some cream into his cup, which was now so full the only thing keeping it from spilling was the surface tension, “you want my insight on how to break this to them.” 

Hotch sighed, his shoulders rounding as he let the true gravity of the situation sink in, “how should I tell the team?” 

“Well,” he took a cautious sip from his cup, swallowing the boiling hot liquid as though it were any other drink, “I think you should treat it the way you treat every case briefing, some semblance of a routine would certainly make the blow a little softer. Stick to the facts, don’t go into details until it is necessary, give them time to process it, involve Gibbs as much as you can, perhaps he will be willing to continue sharing lead?” 

“As I said, deputy director wants NCIS and the other available FBI teams to take this one, even though it isn’t in NCIS jurisdiction, their director has offered to assist in any way they can. Would you mind giving the briefing with me? I’d like some backup on this one,” he picked up his folders which he had with him in preparation for the briefing. “What should I do about JJ?” 

“Don’t tell her yet, wait until we have more information,” he chugged his coffee, some spare droplets spilled down the side of his cheek. He wiped away the coffee with the corner of his sleeve, “don't slouch, it’s terrible for your posture.” 

Hotch straightened his shoulders, “I agree with you, Dave,” he passed him one of the filed he was holding, “catch yourself up on what we know so far, the briefing is in ten minutes.”

“And where exactly are you rushing off to?” Rossi raised an eyebrow. 

“I need to speak with agent Prentiss,” he explained, keeping his answer as vague as he could get away with. 

“I have a feeling that the number of words exchanged between the two of you will be less than your indefinite explanation,” he chuckled at his joke. 

“Very funny,” he deadpanned. 

“I certainly thought so,” Rossi snarked. 

Hotch knew he wasn’t going to win this one, “I’ll see you in ten minutes.” 

“Sure you don’t want to make it twenty?” he smiled mischievously.

“Dave,” Hotch frowned. 

“Alright alright, I’ll go gather the team in the conference room, I think I’m starting to get to know my way around this place,” he turned down the hallway on the right without another word. 

He entered the break room to find Emily already there, standing next to the coffee maker. She poured herself a mug then turned around and raised the coffee pot, silently asking if he would like some. 

“Yes, thanks,” he passed her his half-empty mug. 

“What did you want to talk to me about?” she leaned back against the counter. 

“Emily, I wanted to tell you, before the rest of the team found out,” he shook his head, “Will escaped custody on the way to Quantico.” 

Emily sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat, “why am I not surprised?” he reached for her, pulling her into his arms. She laid her cheek against his chest, relaxing into his embrace, “I don’t think I can take much more of this.” 

“Me neither, Emily,” Aaron buried his face in her hair, breathing in her familiar scent. More than anything, he needed her close by right now. After his breakdown in the woods, he didn’t trust himself sufficiently to be alone for long periods. Over the past few days, when he wasn’t in interrogation, he was with Emily, privately of course. They had found a nice little stairwell which was seldom used. Behind the closed door, the two of them would sit together, eyes closed, recharging and readying themselves for the hours they would spend apart. 

“We have a meeting in five minutes,” he said softly, her hair muffled his voice. 

“Yeah,” she said, the corners of her lips turning up slightly, “in five minutes.” She draped her arms over his shoulders, lazily swaying her body against his. 

“Five minutes,” he repeated dumbly. Aaron gently rested his hands on her waist, minutely pulling her body closer to his. He tilted his head downwards, letting his eyelids fall shut. It was with a practiced ease that his lips found hers, they had done this so many times now that neither had to look to find the other when they were together in this way. 

Every curve of her body, the velvety softness of her lips, the scent that was so uniquely hers, her voice, all of it was committed to memory. He didn’t need to see her to know she was there with him. Even still, it didn’t matter if they were separated for only five minutes or five days, he longed for her presence no matter how long she was away from him. 

Their lips met, slipping together the way they had so many times before. And like every time past, thoughts and worries seemed to flow out of his head with every featherlight breath he felt on his cheek. She knew how to detangle him, how to free him from the memories which threatened to overtake him. She didn’t try to make him forget, the way Haley did. No, that never worked. Haley thought that was the best way to do it, and he guessed that it did make sense in principle, but no one can forget the things he had seen, the things he had felt. 

Accept it, understand it, live with it, but never let it control you or determine who you are. Emily knew what to do because she had been there too. Like him, she has gone to Hell and back and survived. He knew that she had not yet told him everything, as he had not told her all of her secrets yet, but soon the day would come when there would be nothing they didn’t know.

He kissed her softly, grounding himself in the mesmerizing feeling of her fingers playing with the perfectly trimmed hairs at the back of his neck. What he would do without her? He didn’t know, honestly, he didn’t. What he was sure of was this: he, Aaron Hotchner would do just about anything for this woman, and he would protect her until the very end. 

***

Prentiss and Hotch entered the conference room together. Hotch closed the door behind him and faced the crowd of people in front of him. His team, minus JJ and Reid, as well as Fornell and his team,  were sitting at the table. Gibbs stood at the front of the room, the other NCIS agents sat around the table as well, interspersed with members of his team. Rossi was standing next to Gibbs, waiting for him. Emily took the open seat next to Ziva, facing him expectantly. 

He took a deep breath, Gibbs nodded at him to begin, “Will escaped the police transport to Quantico.” 

There was a collection of gasps, sighs, and muttered curses. He allowed everyone a minute or so for the news to sink in before he continued, “My team has been ordered off this case until further notice--” 

Morgan interrupted angrily, “No, Hotch,” His voice rose as the full weight of what had been said sank in, “you can’t let them do that, JJ and Reid--” 

“As much as I wish I could change this, it’s out of my hands. I arranged for a meeting with the deputy director tomorrow, hopefully, I will be able to change his mind. For now, we are off the case.” 

“Fornell and I will be sharing lead, so we will keep you updated,” Gibbs reassured the team. 

“It isn’t right,” Morgan crossed his arms.

“Derek, I know, and I am trying to fix it. But right now, we might as well use the time we were given to rest. If we do end up being able to share the lead on this case, then I want us to be healthy enough to deal with it. We have been on this since JJ first told us, everyone on my team, including me, are running on fumes.” 

Morgan scoffed but didn’t protest. Garcia raised her hand, “Sir, can I speak with you after the meeting?” 

“Yes, Garcia,” he nodded, “does anyone else have any questions?” 

“Uh yeah, I got one,” DiNozzo raised his hand, “as happy as I am to be helping out on this case, how does this fall into NCIS Jurisdiction?” 

“It doesn’t,” director Vance answered, “since we don’t have any active cases that our other agents can’t handle, I volunteered my best team to help with the search. The deputy director and I go back and I owed him a favor.” 

“With all due respect,” Fornell’s voice was icy cold, “the FBI has triple the resources of NCIS, why would the deputy director even want your help?” Hotch noticed Gibbs and Fornell exchange a glance. It almost seemed like this was a private joke between the two of them that Hotch was not privy to. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” the director's voice was venomous, “maybe because our success rate with cases like this is better than or equal to your entire agency per   when it comes to this specific team?” 

“Forgive me, sir,” Fornell backed down, “I meant no disrespect,” he exchanged another glance with Gibbs. 

Hotch almost rolled his eyes, it was so like Fornell to start fights just for the sake of making a stab at NCIS. He had noticed that his ‘attacks’ nowadays were more like little pokes, not intended to harm but rather to annoy. However, years before, he was doing everything in his power to try and make the NCIS team in this room suffer. 

“If that’s all?” Hotch scanned the room, no more questions. 

“My team and Fornell’s,” Gibbs said quietly, “stay behind.” Half the FBI agents silently followed Hotch out of the room. 

“My team, just a moment?” Hotch called. They gathered around him in the hallway. “The next twenty-four hours, I want you guys to take and rest. I don’t care what your excuses are, we can’t do anything until tomorrow anyway. We have to trust Gibbs, he knows what he’s doing.”

“What about JJ?” Morgan asked. 

_ Shit.  _ Hotch thought, he was hoping no one would ask, “We have elected not to tell her just yet. At the moment, she is in the safest place she can be, with Reid at the hospital, and surrounded by FBI agents. Will is alone, he’s smart enough not to try and attack her while she’s at the hospital. For all we know, he's in the wind.” 

“You didn’t tell her?” Morgan repeated, aghast. 

“No, but we will, tomorrow,” he held his ground.

Morgan huffed angrily. Garcia rested her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. 

“You’re dismissed, go get some rest,” he nodded his head in dismissal. Everyone but Garcia tiredly ambled down the hallway to the stairs. 

“Sir, can I stay please?” Garcia requested. 

“Garcia we have been ordered--” 

“I know sir,” she interrupted, “but I’m already completely set up with Abby and Tim, I would do it off the clock, unofficially, we might be on the trail of something big and I don’t want to lose it. Abby has a futon in her lab, I can catch a few hours there.” 

“Very well, unofficially.” he conceded, “keep me updated.” 

“Thank you sir!” she called over her shoulder as she jogged down the stairs. He followed at a much slower pace. Emily was standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for him. 

“Aaron,” as he passed, she fell into step next to him, unconsciously matching his pace. 

“Home?” he asked.

“Home.” she agreed. 

“Which one?” she said, suddenly remembering that they didn’t share an apartment. 

“Yours.” he said, “Jack is with Jessica.” 

“Home,” Emily hummed, leaning against his side and resting her head on his shoulder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters are going to be a break from serious plot while they regroup/heal. POV WIll incoming (to keep the story moving along)


	25. Purple Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal rant incoming. Feel free to skip: I am so sorry. This was supposed to be up a week or so ago. Unfortunately, I got extremely sick two days before the 25th which was when I was going to post and I ended up going to a special med center so they could run tests/ figure out what was wrong with me. I caught something interesting while traveling overseas... Anyways, I got the right medicine so now I am healthy finally and able to post this.   
> Now that's out of the way, here is a short and fluffy chapter for you all, (aside from the beginning because we need to keep the plot rolling) happy holidays!   
> also, I have started a rewrite on the first fifteen chapters, hoping to get the new and improved ones up by the end of the summer!

Ian Doyle slid another photo across the table for Will to see. It was grainy, but the subject was easily discernable. It looked like it could have been a surveillance photo taken in night vision, judging by the image quality, “is this the girl you hitched a ride with?” 

“Yes, why?” Will asked, puzzled. 

Doyle touched his ear, where a mic was probably hiding, “confirmed, it’s her.” he turned his attention to Will, “What did you tell her?” 

“Just sharing some familiarity, we both grew up in NOLA,” he responded, puzzled, “Why?” 

“Are you an  _ idiot _ ?” Doyle fumed, “You’re a wanted fugitive!” 

“I dunno,” Will stumbled over his words, “I guess I-- I guess I just wasn’t thinking.”

“You’ve certainly got that right,” he responded pointedly. Into his earpiece, he growled, “Bag and tag her.” 

“What does that mean?” Will questioned, suddenly curious. 

I’ll show you later, right now we need to get out of here,” he waved at the large man who Will thought had to be Doyle’s bodyguard. He pushed his way through the crowd and stood silently at attention in front of Doyle, “bring LaMontagne to the safehouse in New Hampshire, stay clear of public transportation. Call Jamison and tell him to meet me here.” 

“Wait, New Hampshire?” he sputtered, dumbfounded, “what about Jennifer and Emily?”  

“Later,” Doyle responded, “when law enforcement loses interest in you.” 

“Oh, but I thought--” 

“As we have seen previously, your ‘thinking’ tends to get you into trouble,” Doyle interrupted.

“But what about--” 

“Great plans take time, it is best for us to lay low right now, especially after the stunt you pulled,” Doyle rolled his eyes, “I can’t believe you tried to take on Lauren. Hell, I taught her most of what she knows.” 

“You?” Will asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Yes, we were engaged you see, and then she turned me into the CIA. Turns out she was with them the entire time, it all was a lie,” Doyle frowned, “none of it was real.” 

“Well,” Will grinned, “we’ll get them next time.” 

“Yeah,” Doyle said, lost in thought, “we will.” 

“Will?” the large man said, “with me.” 

***

Emily waited behind Hotch as he fumbled with the key. His hands were still a little bit unsteady after his stint as an iceman. She knew he was trying to hide it from everyone, for an understandable reason, but he needed to see someone about it if it didn’t heal soon. 

She didn’t want to pressure him into it, she knew how much he hated his vulnerability, especially if someone else pointed it out to him. She was quite similar to him in that regard. Both of them tried very hard to hide their weaknesses from everyone, including each other, although they had promised to try to be more open. 

Emily wasn’t going to pretend that she was holding their agreement. She was no saint, she did try hard, it was just easier to slip into her old habits. She waited patiently outside the door of her apartment for him to unlock it with his key. 

Hotch swore under his breath as the key skidded past the hole for the fifth time, leaving another long scratch on the tarnished brass. Frustrated, he jammed the key into the keyhole, hoping that it would go in. He breathed a sigh of relief as the key slid into the lock. He turned it to the left and the door clicked open. 

Feigning normality, he curled his lips up in what could be considered a smile, “Feels like it’s been ages, doesn’t it?” Pretending, because nothing was fucking okay right now. Abso-fucking-lutely nothing. He knew that look, the one she was giving him right now. Her head slightly tilted to the left, eyes a little wider than usual, lips pursed with concern. 

“Aaron We should really--” Fuck it, she was going for it. She had to do it, he was much worse than she had initially thought. Not that she was doing much better. 

“No,” he interrupted forcefully, “can we just not talk about it right now? I can’t go into it.” 

“Okay, Aaron,” Emily whispered. She gently placed her arm around his waist, “that’s okay.” 

He instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She melted into his embrace as they slowly made their way into her apartment. She didn’t notice the purple flowers sitting in the vase on the wooden stand near the entryway. 

The door to the bedroom was open, another oddity which Emily didn’t immediately notice. She always closed it to keep Sergio out of her things while she was away. At the moment, neither of them were awake enough to care.

They separated long enough to crawl under the covers, shedding clothing until both of them were left wearing only their undergarments. He pulled her into his arms, curling his body around hers and squeezing her gently. He rested his chin on top of her head, contentedly breathing in the scent of her hair. 

Emily sighed and relaxed into his embrace. She felt a contented hum vibrate through her body. His presence alone was enough to put her at ease. Hotch felt her relax in his arms, listened to her breathing even out as she slipped into sleep. He followed her soon after, his breaths matching hers as his eyelids fell shut. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, chapter title was on the nose. I couldn't think of anything.


	26. Pizza

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Chapter 28 title is credited to my friend ConfusedCoffeeCup. The chapter is a mix of fluff and plot, hope you enjoy!

Spencer opened his eyes, blinking the blurriness away that came with keeping them closed for so long. He looked out of the corner of his eye at the chair in the corner of the room which JJ had claimed a few days before. She was sprawled over the armrest, her body bent into an inhuman pretzel shape which did not look comfortable at all. 

“JJ?” Spencer rasped, his voice felt scratchy against the back of his throat from lack of use. 

“Spence…” she whispered sleepily, “five more minutes?” 

He laughed out loud, his broken ribs sending spikes of pain through his body at each giggle morphing them into coughs, “JJ,” he spluttered, “we aren’t at work anymore.” 

“Spencer!” her head shot up, “I’m so sorry I thought we were— that I was—are you okay?” 

“I’m alright,” he breath evened out as he suppressed his coughs. 

She stiffly pushed herself into a normal-looking seated position. Reaching her arms high into the air, she clasped her fingers together and stretched, allowing her spine to arch as she released the tension in her muscles. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned. 

“Yeah, I’m just glad you’re awake. You really gave that poor nurse quite the scare,” she giggled, “he almost didn’t let me come in here alone.” 

“Oh, yes, because I’m such a strong and dangerous person,” he said dryly, “my IQ equals the amount of weight I can lift divided by twenty.” 

JJ doubled over, shaking with laughter, “I missed your sense of humor,” she gingerly made her way over to the side of his bed. Her fingers ghosted down the side of his cheek, gently pulling his chin towards her. 

“I missed you too, JJ,” he smiled stiffly. 

She softly pressed her lips to his, taking care not to hurt him. He lifted his uninjured arm to gently run his fingers against the side of her cheek. He pulled away, leaving their noses separated by a few inches, “I missed the touch of your skin,” he blushed, “it wasn’t the same in my dreams.” 

“You remember your dreams?” JJ asked, surprised. 

“Well, yes,” he responded, “don’t you?” 

“Not very often,” JJ explained, “the only ones I remember nowadays aren't the ones I would really want to.” 

He gently rested his forehead against hers, “you can talk to me about them… if you want to. I’ve heard it helps.” 

“More than you know, thank you,” she leaned in for another small kiss. 

Spencer’s cheeks heated, out of the corner of his eye he saw Morgan entering. He held a small bag in his hand, “I can come back later if--” he started.

JJ pulled hastily stood upright, “N-no, that’s fine,” she blushed furiously, averting her eyes from Morgan.

Derek’s body shook from badly concealed laughter, “no need to hide from me, pretty boy,” I just came to see you since I heard you were taken off the sedatives.” 

“It’s good to see you,” Reid smiled, “any news for me about the case?” 

“Right down to business as usual,” Morgan chuffed, “no sign of him anywhere since he escaped,” they refrained from using Will’s name, it had become an unspoken taboo within the team unless Hotch or Rossi was receiving the daily update from Gibbs. Morgan sighed heavily, “but a body just turned up outside the city.” 

“A body? JJ asked. Her eyes widened in alarm. 

Morgan knew he probably should have waited to ask Hotch before he told them but it was too late now, “yeah, they found the body of an eighteen-year-old college student from Georgetown in a pond. Her body was stuffed into a bag in the trunk of her car. Her name tag and ID were stuffed inside her mouth.” 

“How do they know it is related to Will?” Spencer was still holding out hope that it could have just been another murder, but deep down, he knew that was unlikely. 

“His badge and creds were also in the trunk with her,” Morgan explained, “the working theory is that she offered him a ride and he took it then proceeded to kill her when she was no longer useful to him.” 

“How did she die?” JJ spoke suddenly, her gaze fixed on a point behind Morgan.

“JJ, I don’t think you want to--” Morgan started. 

Rage filled her voice, “tell me, now.” 

“Alright JJ, I’ll tell you, just take a step back,” he shut his eyes and tilted his head towards the ceiling, “she was in the car, alive when it went down. Doc thinks she drowned,” he exhaled sharply. 

“She was alive?” Reid’s voice quivered.

“Yeah, Spencer, she was,” Morgan opened his eyes, “we have to catch the bastard before he does this again.” 

JJ sank down against the wall. She shut her eyes and allowed her legs to go limp in front of her. Morgan took a step forward, concerned, “JJ, are you--” he faltered. 

“I’m okay, I just need some time.” 

“Alright,” he knew she wasn’t okay, “I’ll come back later,” he exited out the only door in the room, shutting it quietly behind him. 

“Jennifer?” Spencer called softly.

“Yeah, Spence?” her voice sounded tired, resigned, almost the opposite of what it had been a few minutes ago.

He gingerly shifted his body until there was a small sliver of space in the bed next to him, “would you like to lie down with me for a little bit?” 

“Yeah, I would,” she opened her eyes, “but I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

“As long as you stay on my left side, I’ll be okay.” 

“Make space then,” she left her spot on the floor and stepped over to the side of the bed. Cautiously, she sat then lay down next to him, resting her head on his uninjured shoulder. 

“I missed this,” Spencer sighed. He twisted his head, searching for her eyes. 

“I did too,” she smiled, “I’m glad you’re back.” 

“Me too,” he blinked, his eyelids growing heavy with sleep. 

“Love you, Spencer,” JJ whispered. 

He yawned, “pizza.”  

“What?” JJ asked, confused. 

“I mean---” Spencer flushed bright red, “I love you too.” 

“Spencer,” JJ rolled her eyes and pecked him on the lips. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the last scene is improvised but we all need a little fun, right?


	27. Moving Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy heck it's been a wild few weeks. I'm currently training for a 6000m hike (small in the grand scheme of things but I'm getting over my sickness still) so my posts are going to be a bit more sporadic than usual. Fluffy chapter and some plot progression, just something lighter so you don't hate me later. Whoops, that might be a hint.   
> Also, the Super Bowl (American football championship thing) is coming up which means I'm either going to be really happy or really depressed, my future chapters will most likely be affected by the outcome because I take football way more seriously than I should. 
> 
> Love you all

Will restlessly paced around the interior of the one-room log cabin he had been confined to for the past three days. If there was one thing he had learned from the past few weeks, it was that he  _ hated _ cages. 

As rustic and homely this place looked, it was starting to feel mighty similar to a cage. He was tired of waiting, he wanted to see Doyle and figure out what his plan was. He didn’t like being kept in the dark. Will was used to being the one calling the shots. 

The big man, who, Will later found out was called Maxwell, was fast asleep on one of the two beds in the room. His low snores rumbled noisily from his corner. Will hadn’t been able to sleep the whole night because of him. At around two, Will decided to stop trying to sleep and instead sit by the window and wait for the sun to rise. 

He had done this the past few nights. Even when he could sleep, it tended to be more painful than actually useful. If he slept longer than an hour or two, his dreams were filled with dark shadows of his friends who had been taken. They all blamed him. He failed them, he shouldn’t have fallen for the cunt’s clever ruse. He was sitting here, doing nothing while they waited in some cell. 

Will decided he would get them all, at any cost. The entire damned BAU. He would kill them all himself or die trying. Doyle was a means to an end, and if it meant he had to sit here and wait then he would. Doyle could have Emily and Hotch, as long as he got a shot at Emily too. Who really mattered to him was JJ. Getting her and killing Reid a second time. 

***

Hotch knew he was dreaming. Everything in this world his mind created looked slightly off-kilter, out of focus. Still didn’t stop him from recognizing the scenario he had relived hundreds of times before. 

In his dream, Hotch walked up to the white gate surrounding the house where he, Jack, and Haley had lived before. He drew his gun, cautiously opening the door. The rooms were dark, the curtains were drawn. He turned his flashlight on, searching each room methodically the way he was taught all those years ago. 

He knew what was waiting for him in the living room. He knew, but as much as he tried to resist, dream-Hotch still entered the room anyway. His flashlight illuminated her dark shape on the floor as it passed across the room. His gun fell from his shaking hands and landed on the floor behind him. He fell to the ground next to her, his body convulsing as he tried and failed to keep himself together. 

He pulled her into his lap, silently mouthing, ‘no…’ as he cradled her body to his. Hotch buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent expecting to smell Haley. But this time, his nose was greeted with a different, far more familiar and even more jarring smell. He pulled away to get a better look at the corpse’s face, preying his senses were deceiving him.

But seeing her brown eyes, her wavy dark hair, pouting lips holding a silent scream, there was no mistake. “Emily,” he whispered, N-no…” he choked on his own words, “Emily, no, no, no, please, no…” 

“Aaron!” he opened his eyes, gasping for breath. Emily cautiously wrapped her arms around his torso. His shirt was soaked with cold sweat, She could feel his body shaking and shivering beneath the covers. “Aaron,” she whispered, pressing her forehead to his, “it’s a dream, it’s just a dream,” She knelt next to him on the bed and gently cradled the back of his head with her hands. 

“Emily,” he panted, “you’re… I saw…” His eyes widened and he forcefully squeezed her body to his, “you’re alive,” he sighed. 

“I’m alive Aaron, I’m safe, thanks to you, and that won’t be changing any time soon,” she breathed, “I’m not going anywhere.” 

Aaron’s breaths evened out after a few minutes, his grip loosened as his heartbeat calmed. He stared into her eyes, relief washing over his strained features, “you’re alive,” he laughed out loud in relief, but it came out as a strangled whimper, “ I had the Reaper dream again but--” 

“Aaron you don’t have to--” 

“But instead of Haley, it was you, he had killed you and I could do nothing. Emily, I thought I lost you, that you were gone,” his body shook as another tremor of shivers rolled through him.

“Aaron,” Emily gently stroked his hair with her hand, “you’ll never lose me, ever. I promise,” she massaged his temples, “I’ll always be right here, with you.” 

He shut his eyes and leaned against her, “love you, Emily.”

“I love you too, Aaron, Emily gently lowered them down to the mattress, hugging him close to her body. 

***

The male nurse who Spencer had fought off a few weeks before stood by his bed holding a sheet of paper. He nervously clicked a pen as he spoke, “Please sign these papers and you can be released from the hospital.” 

“Sign where?” Spencer asked, sitting up in his bed. 

“Please just sign the papers,” the nurse dropped the sheet and pen on the bedside table. Without a backward glance, he scurried out of the room, the door slammed behind him. 

“Well,” JJ affirmed, “someone’s in a hurry.” 

“Yeah…” Spencer grinned sheepishly, “he’s the nurse I kind of fought when I first woke up.” 

“Spencer!” JJ squealed, “why didn’t you tell me about this?” 

“I dunno… I guess I--” 

“Best thing I’ve heard all day,” JJ giggled. 

“So hearing I accidentally attacked a nurse is better than me getting out of the hospital?” Spencer asked playfully. 

“Fine,” JJ conceded, “second best thing,” she crossed her arms in a poor attempt to feign seriousness, “sign the papers.” 

“Okay, okay!” Reid smiled, “I’ll sign them,” he shakily gripped the pen in his left hand and scribbled across the lines, “stupid sling makes it impossible for me to write with my right hand,” he grumbled. 

“Better get used to it,” JJ frowned, “another month before they take off that cast.” 

“You’re right,” Spencer swung his legs over the side of the bed, “can you bring the chair over to me please?” he pointed to the wheelchair in the corner. 

“No problem,” JJ maneuvered the chair into a more suitable place for Spencer to get in. 

“Thanks,” he smiled gratefully at her as he cautiously lowered himself into the seat. 

“Ready to go?” JJ asked, wrapping her hands around the handles.

“Yeah, thanks JJ for helping me,” Spencer sighed, “I really mean it, thank you.” 

“Of course, Spence,” she placed her hand on his shoulder as she wheeled him out of the room, “you know I would do anything for you because I love you and I don’t care what Will tries to do, we will win.” 

He covered her hand with his, “I feel the same about you and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he ends up somewhere he cannot hurt you.” 

“Let’s go home.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff incoming next chapter too. we need a break from the plot


	28. Burning Bridges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy Y'all, so the past few weeks have been insane. feel free to skip this part. I was in the hospital again, lovely. I'm fine now, just a bit of a scare. This was meant to be up ages ago. I'm posting one or two more chapters tonight too, so enjoy!!
> 
> the plot is starting to happen, but don't worry there's a lot of lull in the meantime. Sometime in the future, I wanna see these two do a triathlon.

Aaron and Emily awoke simultaneously to the alarm blaring from Emily’s phone. Without hesitation or complaint, they rolled out of bed and flicked the switches for the bedroom lights. Outside, the sky was still dark, Aaron was just barely able to see the moon sinking in the sky above them. He sighed deeply as he pulled his nightshirt over his head. He hated the fact that after almost two weeks of being forced off the case the other teams still had found nothing useful and thedeputy director was not allowing his team back on the case. 

He pulled on his loose, black running shorts and slipped into the stretchy, navy blue tanktop. Emily had already put on her leggings and purple half-sleeve. She sat on the chair in the corner doing up the laces of her Nikes. Hotch searched through his small collection of running shoes for the morning. Nothing too intense, something long and refreshing. He chose a pair of light blue, thick soled sneakers, great for anything over fifteen miles. 

Emily pulled her hair back into a tight high ponytail, “ready?” her voice was muffled by the headlight she was clenching in her teeth. 

“Yeah, I am,” he responded, finishing the laces. 

“Lets go,” she strapped the headlamp to her forehead and led the way out the door. He followed after her, his eyes roaming freely along the tight fabric that squeezed itself to her body, concealing nothing he didn’t already have memorized. As they left the apartment complex, he sped up his pace to walk beside her. 

“Which route do you want to take?” he always liked giving her the choice since whatever she said was usually a reflection of what she was feeling that day. Currently, she wasn’t telling him much. They had barely spoken about how this was affecting them, even though they had mutually decided to share how they felt so that what happened by the creek didn’t happen again. So, Hotch had to rely on her nonverbal cues to understand how she was doing. 

“Let’s go through Rock Creek Park,” she quickened her pace to a light, warm up jog. 

“Okay,” he matched her pace. Obviously, neither of them were doing very well. Aaron had not told Emily how badly this had shaken him, how much it still scared him, and there was something she was holding back too, he could tell. 

Quite frankly, he didn’t want to talk about it. Not yet at least. He didn’t understand it himself, what was going on in his own head, and he didn’t want to subject Emily to that, as much as he knew she would probably be able to understand it better than he could. They turned into the park, waving to the half-asleep park ranger in his small wooden guardhouse. He tipped his hat to them in response, giving them a drowsy smile. They were regulars here, and he always had the morning shift. 

Emily increased the pace to their normal running speed. He followed her lead and stayed elbow to elbow with her as they meandered through the trails. It wasn’t a tempo run or a fartlek, just a calm jog through the snowy woods. Though it was cold, Aaron was sweating after the first thirty minutes. For most of that time, they ran in silence. Talking only to discuss the route they wanted to take that morning. 

He heard a few twigs snap off the side of the path in the woods which put him on edge but he rationalized that it was most likely just the local wildlife. They continued on in almost quiet, only their sneakers crunching on snow broke the silence.

Without any indication or warning, Emily froze in her tracks. Aaron stopped a few feet ahead of her, confused. He looked back at her and opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when he noticed the expression on her face. 

Aaron didn’t think he had ever seen her look so afraid. Her eyes were widened and her mouth was curled into an angry snarl.  He followed her view to a bouquet of purple flowers attached with a ribbon to the bridge they were running towards. She reached instinctively for her hip, but her gun wasn’t there. She never took it with her when she ran. 

“Emily?” Aaron asked cautiously, “what’s wrong?” he stepped closer to her reaching his hand out. As suddenly as the anger had come over, it vanished. Her body sagged, he reached out for her and caught her before her knees could hit the ground. 

“Aaron,” she whispered, “he’s come back for me.” 

“Who?” he tightened his grip around her. 

“He’s going to get me,” her voice cracked.

Never had he seen her so afraid, not in the years he had known her, the killers they had chased, none had been able to break her to this point, “no one can get you, Emily,” he reassured, “I won’t let that happen.” 

She wrapped her arms around his torso and tilted her head to look him in the eyes, “Ian Doyle can.” 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's toying with her. Jackass.


	29. Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as promised, here it is!! Emily FINALLY tells Hotch about Doyle.   
> Love you all, thank you for the amazing support! I never thought this would get much past thirty kudos but we are already over sixty and climbing! thank you so so so much! sending you all hugs!! I write this for you, your support means a lot! <3

The run back had felt more like a sprint. It was all he could do to keep up with Emily as she galloped through the woods. He could hear her ragged breaths from where he was running a few paces behind her. 

He called her name, even tried to grab her shoulder, but she shook him off and kept going. Emily did not utter a single word until they were safely locked behind the doors of her apartment, by which time Aaron was gasping for breath. 

He raised his voice, “Emily!” calling to her from the end of the entryway, “what the hell is going on?” 

After refusing to look at him for the past forty-five minutes, Emily lifted her gaze from the floor, “I’m sorry Aaron I--” 

“No!” Aaron cut her off, “no more secrets. Tell me what this is. Who is Ian Doyle?” 

Cheeks flushed from the cold and still panting from the run, Emily sank down against the wall, letting her knees fold in front of her, “Ian Doyle was my last mission for the CIA,” she inhaled, “and my former fiancee.” 

He took a few hesitent steps towards her, his chest tightening with each shallow breath, “Emily, what do you mean?” he dropped to the floor in front of her. 

“I’m afraid to tell you,” she said slowly as if admitting it hurt her more than her face was letting him see. 

“Don’t be,” his voice softened, “I could never be angry at you.” 

“Promise?” she peered at him over her knees. 

“Yes Emily, I love you,” he gently took her hands in his, “I always will.” 

She sighed, her chest deflating, “Ian Doyle was a high profile Irish arms dealer selling weapons to the IRA as well as other groups. He built himself an empire based in Dublin. It was Interpol's problem until he brought his organization to the United States, specifically, Boston. He made friends with the Winter Hill Gang and used their contacts to start up business in the northeast. I was sent in to take him out originally, but the mission plan changed when they found out they could use Doyle to get even bigger bad guys,” tears had begun to leak out of the corners of her eyes as she recounted the story. Aaron squeezed her hands to reassure her. She drew another deep breath, “the mission changed to infiltration. Within five months I had worked my way through the ranks to Doyle’s inner circle. It was around that time that I…” she trailed off, her eyes became unfocused as she stared at the wall behind Hotch. 

“It’s okay, Emily, you can trust me, I promise,” he scooted next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He could feel the cold sweat on her skin and the shivers that wracked her body. 

Her voice broke, “I was ordered to seduce him,” she put her head between her knees, “I had done it before, but this time was different, he was different,” she lifted her head and looked at Aaron through watery eyes, “he was kind. He wasn’t just a murderer,” she sniffed. 

“You saw the human, not the killer” Aaron affirmed, massaging her shoulders. 

“Yeah, and I fell in love with him. Not just the persona I had created, Lauren Reynolds, but me, Emily Prentiss, I fell in love with him. He proposed a year later, and when I said yes, I really meant it. I even considered defecting to be with him, but I knew what he had done, I knew what I had to do. Still, the night of the raid, I helped him escape. I asked him to go to the store and get me some food to cook with when the agents were supposed to arrive. The last time he saw me I was being led away in handcuffs. My file says I died in a car crash. I showed up in your office the next day after quitting the CIA.” 

Aaron hated to ask but he knew he had to, “does the CIA know you helped him get away?” 

Emily nodded, “they didn’t care. They got their main target, Doyle led them right to him.” 

At this point, Aaron didn’t want to push the subject. She had told him enough for now. She needed to rest. Aaron knew it was morning, but he also knew that neither of them had slept much the night before. He slowly stood up, “c’mon Emily, you should rest,” he stuck out his hand for her to take. 

She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet, but she didn’t follow him as he tried to lead her to the bedroom, “I’m sorry, Aaron,” her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. 

“Don’t be,” he tugged on her arm but she still refused to move. In one swift motion, he lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. He carried her through the deserted apartment to the bedroom. She sobbed into his shoulder, practically whispering ‘I’m sorry,’ through choked breaths. 

He set her down above the covers and untied her running shoes, gently slipping them off her feet and setting them down by the rug. He removed his own trainers and placed them next to hers. With the utmost care possible, Aaron pulled back the cover from underneath her and draped it over her shivering body. 

“Will you stay?” she asked quietly. 

“Yes my love,” he answered, “I just need to go check something first.” 

“Okay,” Emily responded, curling herself deeper under the covers. 

Aaron left the room and closed the door softly behind him. As soon as he was out of earshot he pulled out his phone and dialed Rossi’s number, “Dave,” Hotch said into the receiver. 

“Aaron how are--” 

“No time,” he cut him off, “I need you to ask your friend at the CIA to get some information.” 

“What kind of information?” Dave asked.

“I need the unredacted files on Ian Doyle and Lauren Reynolds,” Hotch sighed, “keep this between us, okay?” 

“Wait isn’t Lauren Reynolds Emily’s CIA cover from a few years ago?” 

“Yeah,” Hotch sucked in a breath of surprise, “how did you know that?” 

“I’ve known her a long time Aaron,” he said almost smugly, “I was the one she would cry to when the rest of the team refused to accept her. She told me about some other missions over the past few years too that the CIA made her run.” 

“What do you know?” Hotch asked. This new information had sparked his curiosity. 

“Oh just that everyone’s pretty lucky she’s as tough as she is. A normal person would have either lost their mind or turned into one of the monsters they were fighting,” he sighed, “you’re one lucky man, Aaron, but she’ll tell you in her own time. I’ll get the information for you.” 

“Thank you, Dave,” Aaron hung up. 

He stepped lightly through the hall, avoiding the floorboards he knew would creak if he put his weight on them. Now that he had cooled down from the run, Aaron noticed the chill that had spread through the apartment. A quick check of the two hallway windows led him to find that one of them had been left open, this was odd because he did not remember opening any of them. Perhaps Emily did. 

He entered the room and closed the door quietly behind him. Emily had not moved from the last time he was here a few minutes ago. Aaron crawled in next to her, searching for her blindly in the dark room with his arms. She found him and immediately rolled into his embrace. He squeezed her gently, breathing in the smell of her hair and sighing. She grasped his hand and pulled it to her chest, squeezing it lightly. 

Regardless of what was going on, he knew they would make it through this. He wouldn’t let anything take her away from him. He brushed a stray piece of hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear and lightly pressed his lips to the top of her head, “Love you, Emily,” he whispered. 

She hummed in response, placing a kiss on the hand which she had kidnapped. He waited until her breathing evened into the familiar pattern he would listen to as he waited to fall asleep. Though it was still morning, he felt his eyelids slipping closed. Allowing the past hour’s revelations to slip away, Hotch drifted into sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They should really put locks on their windows....


	30. Slow and Steady

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really want to give this to you guys, sorry it's short, not a lot of time in the past weeks. New chapter coming soon.  
> JJ POV, enjoy!   
> Fluff because these guys deserve it.

JJ had already put the house where she and Will had lived on the market. She did everything either over the phone or by email, refusing to meet the realtor in person or even go back to the house to collect any furniture. Everything in there reminded her of Will and that was the last thing she needed. 

The past few weeks, living with Reid in his apartment had been some of the best weeks of her life. He was recovering quickly. His arm was out of the cast, he was no longer required to use a wheelchair, and he had stopped taking the prescribed pain medication, officially. 

In reality, he flushed it down the toilet the second he got home, but the doctors didn’t need to know that. Spencer had been adamantly against using them since his brush with Dilaudid. He knew what addictions could to do people, and he refused to let himself be put in that place again.

JJ understood why. Still, it hurt her the first few days to see him in so much pain. But the good news was that he was getting better. In another two months, they would let him out of the leg cast and he would be in physical therapy. She was happy his recovery was going as well as it was. 

She barely saw the rest of the team, they were all dealing with the aftermath in their own way. Emily had texted her something about her and Hotch being unreachable for a week, Rossi had come by once a week to check in on them with Garcia and Morgan, but otherwise, it had just been the two of them.

Though she missed her friends, she was glad to have this time away. As much as she wanted to hunt down and kill Will herself, she knew there was nothing she could do if the director was blocking them. And, as much as JJ hated to admit it, the team really needed this time to recover. 

But what still surprised her most of all was that in a matter of days, Will was completely out of her life and she was now living with the one person she had loved almost since the day they met. She smiled as her thoughts drifted to Spencer, sipping her evening tea in the little kitchen. 

The remnants of their takeout dinner sat outside the door, bagged and waiting with the other trash for the Thursday morning collection. Spencer was in the bathroom brushing his teeth and preparing for bed, though they usually read or watched television for a while before turning off the lights. Spencer had tried to get her into Doctor Who, but she didn’t really understand the concept yet, mainly because he had her start watching in the middle of the newest season and not at the beginning. 

It didn’t matter if she didn’t understand the concept, she loved seeing how excited Spencer got when he was explaining things to her that she didn’t understand. His voice would pick up, the way it did when he was reciting facts or statistics, and he would tell her everything she wanted to know and more. Regardless of whether she understood what he was talking about or not, it made her smile to see how engaged he was. 

She entered the bedroom and opened the top drawer of the dresser which Spencer had made available for her clothes. Finding a suitably oversized long sleeve and some comfy shorts, she discarded her blouse and trousers in the laundry bin and pulled on her chosen sleepwear, electing to keep her bra on for the night since it had no underwire and it would make tomorrow morning slightly quicker. 

Spencer exited the bathroom, wearing his usual flannel pants and a cotton t-shirt. He yawned, “ready?” 

“Yeah,” she smiled, feeling her cheeks heat, though she didn’t really understand why. The fluttery feeling in her stomach reminded her of high school when she was crushing on Adam Johnson from her junior chemistry class. It was almost as if the past year had never happened, almost. Her face fell as arduous thoughts crowded her mind. 

“Jennifer,” Spencer said tenderly. He delicately wrapped his arms around her waist and stroked a soothing hand through her hair. He could always tell, JJ was both thankful for and irritated by this. On the one hand, he understood her better than anyone else she had ever met but on the other, he could always see through her shields, regardless of how much she tried to shut everyone out. 

Still, JJ felt blessed that she had someone as gentle as Spencer looking after her. While she took care of his physical injuries, he tried his best to help her heal from her psychological wounds. She sighed, breathing in his familiar spice, Thanks, Spence,” she hummed. 

He dropped his arms away, sofly caressing her cheek as his hands fell to his sides. She helped him get into the bedsheets, gingerly positioning his leg under the covers, taking the utmost care not to twist it, lest the bones move inside the cast. 

Once he was settled JJ crawled in next to him, searching for his warmpth. He rolled on to his side and opened his arms for her to snuggle close to his chest, her head tilted so that she could listen to the rhythm of his heartbeat. Spencer hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. 

He absently brushed his fingers through her hair, inhaling her honeyed scent with every breath. “JJ?” he whispered. 

“Yeah, Spence?” she mumbled into his chest. 

“I love you.” 

“Love you too,” she replied, her voice was already thick with sleep. He gently kissed the crown of her head and closed his eyes, feeling his consciousness drift away as the minutes ticked by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I just wanted to tell you that there is a lot more fluff incoming, we need a break. Doyle's just being a jerk. (I'm sorry, but I need the plot to keep rolling haha)


	31. Break In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days?? I'm on a roll!  
> I wanted to put this one up too because I feel bad for leaving you guys for like five weeks. Sorry.   
> love you guys!!   
> special guest appearing in this one, hmmm who could it be?

David Rossi drove home alone, something that, he hated to admit, had become a normal part of his life. He remembered when he was still a young agent, a founding member of the BAU with Hotch and Gideon, how they would go out together after every case to unwind. 

Back then, he was always the last to leave the bar, escorted by one or more beautiful ladies who fell for his authentic Italian charm. Gideon didn’t need an excuse to leave, he was Gideon, their fearless leader, and hopeless nerd, in the eyes of Rossi’s young self. Hotch would follow not long after, usually using Haley as his reason to go home before the moon had even risen more than a quarter. 

Rossi had never minded though. He had no problem finding good company, back then. These days the only person he talked to at the bar was Strauss, and that was only to try and wheedle more information out of her about the case. 

He had to admit, he enjoyed her company more than he originally thought he would have. When she wasn’t breathing down the back of his neck and stalking the halls of Quantico, looking for a reason to shout at him, Erin could actually be pretty good company. 

Though she was an utter pain in the ass a work, he almost felt bad, taking advantage of her like this. After a drink or two, she had no problem spilling the latest details of the case, and no, Rossi did not miss the badly concealed chip she nervously rolled between her palms when she wasn’t white-knuckling her whiskey. 

He really shouldn’t be enabling her habit, and he was silently kicking himself for doing just that, but the team was his first priority, he could complete step nine, make amends, with her later. Tonight, she had told him something particularly unsettling, something he needed to tell Emily immediately. 

Without really knowing why people tended to just tell him things. Emily was no exception to this. One terrible, sleepless night, she recounted her best and worst days with the CIA. She told him about a man who she was supposed to seduce and then monitor. A man who fell so deeply in love with her that she ended up realizing her own feelings for him.

Dave had never seen Emily cry as much as she did when she told him about the arrest. She was unafraid to admit that she had almost tried to save him from INTERPOL, she knew he would never tell. 

Rossi had a feeling that the man who rescued Will, according to Strauss, was this man. Erin had said that the man working Will was named Ian Doyle, an Irish arms dealer with strong connections in Boston. Emily had been quite secretive about his identity, but he remembered her calling him ‘Ian’ once. 

Based on what he knew about ‘Ian’ from Emily, Rossi was able to string the two personas into one man. He pulled into his long driveway, casually pressing the switch on his garage door opener and pulling into the unoccupied parking space. 

The lights flickered on as he opened the door of his 1972 Thunderbird and stepped on to the cool cement. He took his phone out of his pocket and used his thumb to unlock it.He flipped through his contacts, searching for Emily. He found her quickly, she was on speed dial, along with every other member of his team. 

He pressed the call button, listening to the auto-dial and waited for her to pick up. He wasn’t expecting to hear Aaron’s voice on the other end of the line and almost hung up, Aaron didn’t know. He had to play it off, this was Emily’s secret, “Aaron, how are you?” 

“No time,” he cut him off, “I need you to ask your friend at the CIA to get some information.” 

“What kind of information?” Dave asked. Well, that solves that problem. 

“I need the unredacted files on Ian Doyle and Lauren Reynolds,” Hotch sighed, “keep this between us, okay?” 

“Wait, isn’t Lauren Reynolds Emily’s CIA cover from a few years ago?” Dave decided to roll with it, it was Emily’s secret to tell Aaron and Dave didn’t know how much he already knew. 

“Yeah,” He heard hotch sick in a breath of surprise, “how did you know that?” 

“I’ve known her a long time Aaron,” he said smugly, “I was the one she would cry to when the rest of the team refused to accept her. She told me about some other missions over the past few years too that the CIA made her run.” 

“What do you know?” Hotch asked. This new information had sparked his curiosity. 

“Oh just that everyone’s pretty lucky she’s as tough as she is. A normal person would have either lost their mind or turned into one of the monsters they were fighting,” he sighed, “you’re one lucky man, Aaron, but she’ll tell you in her own time. I’ll get the information for you.” 

“Thank you, Dave,” Aaron hung up on him. 

Dave slid his phone into his pocket and entered his house through the garage door, noticing that the door was already unlocked which was strange since he locked it when he left earlier that evening. He instinctively reached for his sig but his hand grasped empty space. 

No matter, he had a few stashed around the house. The lights were off, but Rossi could see a silhouetted figure sitting in the shadows of his kitchen. He decided to bite the proverbial bullet and ask this intruder what they were doing in his house. Few people had the skills required to break in, and this person had not yet tried to kill him so he figured he could have a conversation with them first and then they could decide if they wanted to play stick up. 

“If you needed something, you could have knocked,” he hit the light switch, bathing the figure in a fluorescent glow. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” the dark-haired woman quipped.

“Elaine Prentiss,” Dave grinned, “my favorite CIA contact.” 

“Is that all I am to you?” she faux pouting. 

“No, of course not,” he crossed his kitchen in three strides, opening his arms and pulling her into a hug, “sure is good to see you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a plan for Ambassador Prentiss, bare with me. She's gonna be quite useful later.   
> Just to clarify for you guys, Emily's father is dead in this story. He was killed in a mysterious car accident in 1999. Right now in their story, it's late 2011 for the team rn.


	32. Satin Evenings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> three for three! well, sort of. I'm working on LA time so for most of the world this is tomorrow but it's still today for me so I'm counting it.   
> We need this, we all need this. This fic got dark real quick and we need some fluff. Prepare yo selves for the upcoming fluff because screw Doyle, screw Will, damn the serial killers, Emily and Aaron need an evening together.   
> check the bottom for the outfits Emily and Aaron are wearing for the evening out!

Emily awoke that evening feeling surprisingly well rested, considering that evening’s ordeal. The spot next to her was empty but still warm, Aaron had only just left. She yawned, stretching her arms which felt stiffer than usual. 

Aaron’s voice echoed through the hallway, “Em, are you awake?” 

“Yep,” Emily responded. She heard his footsteps coming towards their room and slid her legs off the side, planting her feet on the rug beneath their bed. 

He opened the door, wearing only his running shorts. His hair was a tousled mess, ends sticking up in all different directions. He held out his hand for her to take and said, “dinner with me tonight?” 

Emily took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She raised her eyebrows and asked, “what about--” 

Aaron playfully spun her to his chest, catching her in his arms and grinned, “none of that. Not tonight. We both need a break.” 

A break. Emily definitely needed that. She gently pecked him on the lips and answered, “okay, when do I have to be ready by?” 

“Nine,” Aaron confirmed, “you have an hour. The restaurant has a black-tie dress code.”

“An hour!” Emily gasped, “only an hour? I have to get ready!” 

She whirled out of his arms, spinning around the room searching for her dress, her shoes and any other bobble she needed for the night, disappearing into the bathroom. Hotch calmly opened the wardrobe and removed his folded suit. He smiled to himself, going over the plan for the evening in his head. 

They both needed this much more than either of them would admit. He hoped it would soothe some of the tensions that had surfaced in their relationship. Hotch tossed his running shorts into the laundry bin and pulled on his dress trousers. He zipped and buttoned them then fastened his favorite belt on the smallest notch. 

“Shit!” Emily shouted from the bathroom. 

“Are you okay?” Aaron called, his fingers tightened around the collared shirt he was holding. 

“Fine,” she groaned, “dropped my setting powder.” 

“Do you want any help?” 

“Do NOT come in here,” she commanded, slamming the door. 

“Okay,” Aaron muttered, pulling his shirt over his shoulders. He caught a glance of himself in the mirror. His muscles tensed and his stomach curled in disgust at the sight of his scars. As hard as he worked to shape and form his body the way he wanted it to look, he couldn’t sculpt his skin to hide those terrible marks. Nor could he find a way to remove the long white lines crisscrossing his back, left by his father thirty years ago. 

Emily didn’t seem to mind. She never once reacted towards them the way he did or the way he would have expected someone to react towards them. He guessed it was because she could empathize, she had her own collection of dots and gashes. Hotch never brought it up with her, but the neatly ordered white lines creeping up her wrists did not escape his notice. They were decades old, he didn’t feel like it warranted a conversation if there was no immediate danger. 

He tore his gaze away from the mirror and hastily buttoned his shirt. Tonight was about moving forward, discovering where they could go from here and standing tall, together, regardless of any exterior forces trying to drive them apart. Aaron chose a bowtie for this occasion. He wore ties to work, he didn’t want to wear one now, especially on an evening like this one. 

After the bowtie came the vest. He deftly looped the black silk buttons closed, noting the slight scent of mothballs emanating from it. He would have to put on some extra cologne to hide the smell. 

All that was left was his jacket, ebony black with a velvet collar and cuffs. Silver inseams matched the platinum buttons Rossi had gotten him as a gift a few birthdays ago. He loosely slipped it over his shirt and buttoned it. A final glance in the mirror revealed that he had forgotten to fix his hair which was still rumpled from their day-long nap.

He knocked on the bathroom door and asked, “Emily? Can I have my comb and gel?” 

“It’s on the bed for you,” she responded. 

“Thank you,” he called. The gel weighted down the unruly waves his hair naturally had, and the comb smoothed them back and shaped his hair into a suitably calm style for the evening ahead. He couldn’t help but feel a little flutter in his chest as he sauntered into the kitchen where the fresh bouquet of roses waited for him to give to Emily when she was ready. 

Deep down, a small part of Aaron felt like a teenager again. Young, nervous, and absolutely flummoxed as to how he had managed to end up having the most beautiful girl in town on his arm. He gathered the roses in one hand and waited, listening to his heart pounding in his chest. 

Aaron didn’t have to wait long. After only a few minutes, Emily gracefully strode through the hall, balancing on her favorite pair of black heels. He felt his breath catch as his eyes traveled upwards. Her dress was crimson red and satin, hugging her curves and flaring at the bottom. Emily had tied her hair back in a loose bun, pieces of it curled around her face. Red lipstick matched her dress and magenta eye shadow completed her look. 

She offered him a small smile, biting her lip as her eyes flicked up and down, taking in his appearance. She waltzed across the kitchen and leaned against him, tilting her head to whisper in his ear, “I almost don’t want to have to undo all those buttons, you look so dashing in that outfit,” Emily brushed her lips against his neck as she withdrew. 

Any response or compliment Aaron had died in his throat. He rested his hands on her waist and leaned in, not at all expecting Emily to pull away and chastise him, “now-now Aaron, be patient, we don’t want to ruin my lipstick just yet, do we?” 

Right then, he wanted nothing more than to kiss that sly grin off her face, “these are for you,” he thrust the roes into her hands, trying to find anything to look at other than her. He could already feel his blood rushing to his cheeks, he didn’t want it to go south until after dessert at least. 

“Shall we?” he offered her his arm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dress  
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwicprDg5I_hAhVqilQKHfcvBT8Qjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBabyonlinedress-Babyonline-Elegant-Shoulder-Mermaid%2Fdp%2FB07BLVPJ8Y&psig=AOvVaw1b2-Bfubg-0wiLy84LjjAo&ust=1553139240792457  
> Heels   
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjMjZH06o_hAhVKx1QKHYihDwsQjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.1stdibs.com%2Ffashion%2Fclothing%2Fshoes%2Fgisuseppe-zanotti-new-sold-out-black-leather-silver-chain-sandals-heels-box%2Fid-v_3002163%2F&psig=AOvVaw2ZAnLZwznPsQZh9qglFSIg&ust=1553140869164884
> 
> Jacket  
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj-rZ2X64_hAhWHw1QKHbWAA1EQjhx6BAgBEAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fonovcentar.rs%2F%3Fjoin%3Dproduct-detail%2F-Jacket-Pants-WB134-Black-Velvet_60589503870.html&psig=AOvVaw2Y7aAsTlKnMUzAglviWoSn&ust=1553140977537154  
> Waistcoat  
> https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjF-7Oo64_hAhVHl1QKHc0fCysQjhx6BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.riverisland.com%2Fp%2Fblack-double-breasted-waistcoat-304776&psig=AOvVaw06Rey7HK3FnAb3_e3dgmfp&ust=1553141015830744  
> more coming soon!! love you guys!


	33. Sentimental Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahgggg sorry, I hit a major wall. I just couldn't make myself write. I spat out a paragraph on Monday and finally decided to finish it today. Sorry, it's been a rough couple weeks.  
> I have SERIOUS plans for Elaine. Honestly, I love her character and the way the development has been going. She just has her daughter's 'best' interests at heart. *Author writes the previous sentence with extreme sarcasm.* Seriously though, I love where she has gone. Simultaneously helicopter mom/ absent parent.

Dave glanced at the empty wine glass on the counter near ambassador Prentiss. He raised his eyebrows, “shall I get you another one?” 

The Ambassador rolled her eyes, “got anything stronger?” 

Dave meandered over to his special cabinet and flung the doors wide open, displaying his impressive collection of expensive liquors, “pick your poison.”

 “Hmm,” the Ambassador tapped the side of her wine glass with her perfectly manicured nail, “your Remy Martin cognac please, on the rocks.” 

“Ahh, I had forgotten how you and your daughter shared a taste for expensive liquor,” he lightly ran his hand along the glass faces of potent liquid, searching for the bottle of Louis XIII. Dave gently lifted the bottle from its place on the shelf. He blew off the dust which had gathered on the flat surfaces and retrieved two glasses from his cabinet. 

“So, what number wife are you on?” she probed, “last time we talked in person you had just broken it off with number three,” Elaine crossed her legs and glanced out the window, “where’s the fifth Mrs. Rossi?” 

Dave rolled his eyes, “after my third divorce, I decided that the bachelor life was one I preferred.” He set the glasses down on the counter, poured them each two fingers, and retrieved two ice cubes from the freezer for Elaine. He sat down on the only other chair available at the counter and faced her. Dave decided that a direct approach was the best one to use with Elaine. She hated it when people tried to soften things or ‘beat around the bush,’ as did Emily. Ever the gentleman, he allowed her to speak first. 

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important, Dave, what do you need this time?” she finished off the cognac in one gulp and poured herself another round. 

“Can certainly drink like Emily too…” he muttered under his breath. 

“What was that?” she cocked a perfectly curved eyebrow at him. 

“Nothing, Elaine,” he sighed, “Emily’s in danger.” 

Elaine tossed back the second glass, he poured her a third and sipped at his own. She scratched at her fingernails and inhaled deeply, “It’s about Doyle, isn’t it?” 

“Yes, it is,” Dve confirmed, “we need to know everything you know or we won’t be able to protect her.” 

Elaine’s expression hardened, “very well,” she sipped at her drink, “but first you are going to tell me everything you know about Aaron Hotchner.” 

Dave chuckled, “I thought you would never ask,” he refilled his glass, “Aaron is a good man. He has the manners of a southern gentleman, runner’s physique, a kind heart, gentle soul, and he is head over heels for Emily. They’re lucky to have found each other, god knows how much string pulling it took to bring them together though.” 

Elaine frowned, “Unfortunately, the only way to truly keep Emily safe is by putting her into Witness Protection, and, since they aren’t married, and because Doyle doesn’t know about Aaron yet, he can’t go with her.” 

“I’m sorry,” Rossi spluttered, “you want to do what?” 

“You heard me,” Elaine calmly drained her glass, “it’s the only way to protect her and everyone else from Doyle.” 

“You can’t just separate them, not now, she would hate you, forever,” Dave slammed his glass down on the counter, “I won’t let you.” 

“Dave, it’s the only way to protect them both,” she sighed, “stop with the dramatics, seriously.” 

Rossi paused, thinking over his next course of action very carefully. Elaine had said that Emily and Aaron couldn’t go into WITSEC together because they were not yet married. Yet. He refilled both their glasses, the pieces of a plan coming together in the back of his mind. Choosing his next words carefully, Rossi asked, “So, tell me more about this Doyle, who is he?” 

“He was my daughter’s last assignment with the CIA, real nasty piece of work. Started as a smalltime arms dealer, by the time we caught him he was supplying almost the entire IRA and other less than honorable organizations.” 

“What was Emily supposed to do?” Dave probed. 

“Originally, kill him. Before she had the chance, we got new intel that he could lead us to a bigger catch, so her mission evolved into espionage. It took her less than six months to get close enough to him to proceed with phase two.” 

“Which was?” Dave prompted. 

“Seducing him,” Elaine answered matter-of-factly. She combed a hand through her smooth, tawny-brown hair, “it should have been easy, I had many missions at the CIA that were of a similar nature, but Emily never quite mastered her emotions the way I did. She fell for him as hard as he fell for her. I should have seen it, he ’s exactly the type of man she’s drawn to. Damaged. She shouldn’t have been on that mission in the first place. When the mission ended she tried to help him escape, but it didn’t matter to us, we got our big catch. She quit that same day and applied for the transfer to the BAU.” 

“And you just let him go? A dangerous criminal?” Dave’s blood pulsed beneath his skin, feeling it boil he hissed, “even though he could have come after Emily? Which he is doing, by the way.” 

“We couldn’t waste the resources chasing him, we had other targets to take down. Besides, she was no longer a CIA asset meaning we were no longer in charge of her safety. We staged a car accident for her cover to ‘die’ in, we figured that would be enough to protect her,” Elaine tapped her fingernails on the side of the glass, “besides, Emily did fail her mission, she never actually caught or killed Doyle. If she hadn’t quit, the CIA would have fired her.” 

“Elaine, she’s your daughter!” Dave seethed, “how can you even say that? Why didn’t you do everything in your power to protect her? Why do you suddenly want to force her into WITSEC when--” he stopped mid-sentence, understanding dawning on him, “you don’t like Aaron. That’s why you want her to go into witness protection. Because you disapprove of him.” his voice dropped dangerously low, “what? You want her to marry some foreign diplomat or royal? Aaron isn’t up to your standards?” 

Elaine looked down the end of her nose at him, “well you can’t seriously expect me to be happy with just a ‘good man’ for my daughter? Come, Dave, you know me better than that.” 

Dave clenched his fists, “so her happiness doesn’t matter to you at all?” 

Elane tossed her head, “it matters that she’s happy with what she’s given. I have men of status lined up just hoping for a chance with her, she would be much better off with them.” 

“But she wouldn’t be happy with them, being the bride of some weak little royal pain with a stick up his ass. You know your daughter,” he reasoned with her, “she could never be with someone like that. In the years I’ve known her, she has never been so bright, so alive. Aaron has been a positive influence on her. The same thing goes for Aaron, she brought him back from the brink of disaster after Haley died. Even before that, the two of them brought out the light in each other from the day they met.” 

For the first time since Elaine walked through his front door, Dave saw uncertainty sag her normally rigid posture. She sighed, “Dave, WITSEC has already been set up for Emily, I did it the day Doyle escaped.” 

Rossi squeezed his glass, “you knew. You knew the whole time, didn’t you?” 

Elaine batted her eyelashes, “knew what, darling? I know a lot of things, you can’t expect me to guess what I am supposed to know.” 

“Don't play dumb with me,” Rossi growled, “you wanted this to happen, you’ve been planning this since Doyle escaped.” 

“What kind of wild accusation is that?” her lip twitched. Rossi knew that was her tell, Elaine Prentiss was lying to him, “I couldn’t have expected this, I wouldn’t have planned this, I merely put this in place as an extra measure of protection for my daughter.”

Rossi didn’t believe a word, “if that’s the story you’re sticking to, then fine, I won’t push.” 

Ambassador Prentiss set her glass down on the counter and uncrossed her legs. “I think that’s all I have time for. If you need anything else, call me on my personal line, you have the number. Thank you for the drink, it was lovely,” she strutted to the door lifting her head high. Before stepping into the night, Elaine turned to Dave, “I hope you know that everything I’m doing is in my daughter’s best interests, it’s what her father would have wanted,” her voice breaking to a whisper at the mention of Emily’s father. She dabbed at the corner of her eye, wiping away an imaginary tear, “WITSEC comes for Emily in three days. You should say goodbye before then.” 

As Elaine stepped through the entrance, Dave called out to her, “Elaine!” he needed to make this good, to buy Emily and Aaron enough time, “Emily is a lot smarter and a lot stronger than the person she used to be, smarter even, than you. And this time, she has people who love her, who she trusts, people who will protect her from Doyle…” Rossi paused and slipped off the chair, standing with his shoulders taught and his arms crossed. He widened his stance and glared at the retreating form of Ambassador Prentiss, “We’ll protect her from Doyle, and from you.” 

The corners of Elaine’s lips turned up in a smug smile, “oh you can try,” she whirled on her heel and disappeared into the evening. Rossi calmly got up and shut the door. It wasn’t windy, but he didn’t want the cold air to infiltrate his house and poison his perfectly calibrated thermostat. 

His next move was to text Hotch, ‘NEED TO CALL YOU TOMORROW-- UPDATE.’ Rossi knew they were on a date and he didn’t want to ruin it for them, they needed tonight more than anything else. Besides, it left him an entire evening to plan. Not only did he have to hide Emily  _ and  _ Aaron from Doyle, but he also needed to hide Emily from WITSEC and Elaine. 

Dave knew Elaine. He knew how extreme she was. Countless times, she allowed her wants and preferences for Emily to come before those of her daughter. Elaine was Extreme, but at the end of the day, she wanted what was best, in her eyes, for Emily. Worst case, he surrendered her to Elaine. She would be separated from Aaron, and likely never seen or heard from again. 

But, Dave had a plan. And if that failed, he knew of at least six priests who owed him a debt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dave has a plan. its Dave, there totally won't be fireworks and ferrets... right?
> 
> also the title belongs to Rusty Anderson's song
> 
> Thoughts on Elaine??


	34. Too Young to Fall In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the spirit of April, I've been doing some spring cleaning with this fic. I know Aaron technically proposed way earlier but I deleted that chapter because it was BS and instead I made this one for y'all. I like this version better anyway. Please ignore any references to their engagement before now. I deleted a couple of chapters so that's why this seems shorter. 
> 
> Love you guys

Emily couldn’t remember the last time she had felt the way she did right now. The only time she could think of that even came close was after that very first night with Aaron, when they went home together from the bar. 

Tonight, she was out with her boyfriend, at the fanciest French restaurant in D.C., Le Plume, drinking Möet, feeling blissfully and recklessly at ease. Aaron was seated across from her, his posture was abnormally relaxed and he didn’t squeeze her hand with the usual foreboding she was used to. It was almost as if every time he held her hand he expected it to be the last time he would.

But tonight, his grip was comfortably permanent. One thing they were both certain of was that they would never lose each other, come Hell or high waters. She gently lifted the glass to her lips and took a small sip of the bubbly liquid, letting it roll around her mouth before swallowing it. With her other hand, she gently caressed Aaron’s skin, lightly brushing the pads of her fingers across the back of his hand. 

“Emily, I want to make a deal with you,” Aaron nervously licked his lips, “before the end of tonight, we tell each other everything, no more secrets. I’ll tell you everything if you tell me everything, how does that sound?”    

“Okay, Aaron,” she squeezed his hand, “I already told you everything about Doyle, everything except one detail. I loved him, Aaron, I loved him more than I thought I would ever love anyone else. As cliche as it sounds, I felt whole when I was with him. When he was gone I felt empty, broken, like I was missing a piece of myself. I never thought I would love another as much as I loved him until I met you. It wasn’t until about an hour ago that I realized what real love is,” Emily blinked back tears, “I realized that love isn’t about feeling whole when you're with them or broken when you aren’t, that isn’t really love, that’s a dependency, a habit, a vice. What I feel for you is real love. When I am without you, I feel strong, I feel like myself, I feel whole. But when I am with you, I feel twice as strong, completely comfortable being myself, and I feel more than myself, I feel you. I never want to lose that feeling, ever. I love you, Aaron,” Emily sniffed, tipping her head back to prevent tears from leaking out of her eyes she offered him a small smile. 

“I, Emily…” Aaron trailed off, his mouth gaping open. He stroked the back her hand with his fingers. 

“Okay, you go. I don’t want to be the only one. 

“since I saw what I saw in the basement of the house Will and his friends were using, I haven't been okay. I have nightmares about my father almost every night, I’ve been cold, distant, and unforgiving since you found me in the woods. That ends tonight, Emily,” he squeezed her hand, his eyes welling with tears as well, “I love you, Emily, I will for the rest of my life,” he got out of his seat and knelt by her side, pulling a red velvet box from his coat pocket and opened it, revealing a beautiful white diamond set in gold, “Emily Prentiss,will you marry me?” 

Emily opened her mouth, trying to find the words she wanted. Tears streamed freely from the corners of her eyes. She pulled him to his feet and cupped his face, kissing him hard enough for him to have to backpedal in order to keep his balance. He hugged his free arm around her waist and kissed her back, matching her passion. 

He pulled away after a little while, very aware that every eye in the silent room was on them, is that a yes?” 

“Yes!” Emily squeezed him in a tight hug. 

Aaron gasped, “Emily--” he hissed, “can’t-- breathe--” 

“Right sorry,” Emily released him. 

He slipped the ring on her finger then sat back down in his chair. Emily sat as well, giggling at the lipstick smeared on the corners of his lips. The restaurant broke into applause and the waiter brought them a new bottle of champagne which would be on the house they found out. They spent the rest of dinner chatting and laughing, their eyes never once leaving each other. 

By the time dessert was over and the check had come, the moon was high in the sky and shone like a pearl among a sea of diamonds in the night. They left after the bill was paid, arm in arm, back to their car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmmm what happens next? ;)


End file.
